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Investigating Goal Setting in Workers’ Compensation Rehabilitation: Treatment Guidelines, Policymaker Perspectives, Claimant Experiences, and Stakeholder Reflections
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Investigating Goal Setting in Workers’ Compensation Rehabilitation: Treatment Guidelines, Policymaker Perspectives, Claimant Experiences, and Stakeholder Reflections

Jack Sargeant
Southern Cross University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Southern Cross University
2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25918/thesis.604
Appears in  Recent Southern Cross PhD Theses
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Abstract

Rehabilitation Psychology Goal Setting Workers' Compensation Policy, Guidelines Injured Workers
Goal setting is widely accepted as a core component of effective rehabilitation and has been readily adopted within the workers' compensation industry. However, there is limited consensus on the most effective way to formulate rehabilitation goals to achieve the reported benefits, and inconsistent, atheoretical approaches to goal setting are often observed in clinical practice. Within workers' compensation rehabilitation, practitioners are often expected to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timed) goals with claimants, as outlined in the Clinical Framework for the Delivery of Health Services. Recent concerns regarding the theoretical foundations and practical limitations of SMART goals in healthcare suggest that claimants may be at risk of sub-optimal rehabilitation outcomes. Therefore, the primary aim of this thesis was to comprehensively assess goal-setting practices in workers' compensation rehabilitation by reviewing and critically analysing goal-setting guidelines, policymakers' perspectives, and claimants' experiences. Chapter 1 introduces the research problem, outlines the importance of this programme of research and provides an overview of the thesis. Chapter 2 presents a literature review on goal setting in workers’ compensation, identifying the key concerns underpinning the need for this thesis. Chapter 3 justifies the philosophical approach adopted and describes the methodology and methods used throughout the thesis. Chapter 4 (Study 1 – Sargeant et al., 2026) presents a systematic-narrative review of goal-setting guidelines for workers’ compensation rehabilitation in Australia, demonstrating that current guidelines are inconsistent, lack empirical support, and rely on SMART goals as a standardised approach. Chapter 5 (Study 2) explores policymakers' perspectives on goal setting, highlighting different views on the value of SMART goals and concerns about mandated goal-setting approaches. Chapter 6 (Study 3) investigates claimants’ experiences, identifying that goal setting is often informal and inconsistently collaborative, with structured approaches such as SMART goals not always considered applicable across all stages of rehabilitation. Chapter 7 (Study 4) comprises collaborative reflections with various workers' compensation stakeholders to review the findings of studies 1-3 and identify the key priorities for improving goal-setting practices. Lastly, Chapter 8 summarises the main findings from each study (Chapters 4-7) and outlines the key contributions of this research for the workers' compensation industry. Findings from this thesis highlight the need to re-evaluate the current reliance on SMART goals and to consider more flexible, evidence-informed, and person-centred approaches to goal setting. Ultimately, this thesis provides a foundation for improving the development and implementation of goal-setting guidelines and practices across Australian workers’ compensation schemes.

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