Setting and Communicating Goals with Your Team

The most important part of your pulmonary hypertension (PH) treatment plan is you.

Your PH team brings medical knowledge and experience.

You bring your life, your values, and your goals.

When you have a clear idea of what you hope treatment will help you do, it becomes easier for you and your team to make decisions together. Having goals also helps you stay focused if you have side effects, need new tests, or run into bumps along the way.

This page will help you think about your goals and get ready to share them with your PH care team.

PH can affect people in very different ways. Some people feel short of breath walking across a room. Others want to get back to running, biking, or enjoying sports. Some want enough energy to work, travel, or care for family.

Because of this, there is no “one-size-fits-all” goal. Your team needs to know what matters most to you.

Clear goals can help you and your team:

• Decide which treatments may be the best fit
• Understand what “doing better” means in your daily life
• Stay focused on what is most important when making choices
• See progress over time, even when changes are gradual

Your goals might be practical, emotional, or a mix of both. For example, you might hope:

• To have enough energy to play with your kids or grandchildren
• To go back to work — or stay at work — without feeling completely worn out
• To walk the dog around the block or in the park again
• To climb a flight of stairs without needing to stop and catch your breath
• To travel to a special event or visit family
• To keep doing an activity you love, like gardening, biking, or hiking

Everyone’s goals are different. There is no “right” answer — only what is right for you.

1. Download and print the goal-setting worksheet.
2. Write down up to 3 main goals for treating your PH.
3. List your top 3 questions or concerns about PH or your treatment.
4. Bring the worksheet to your appointment and hand it to your healthcare provider at the start of the visit.
5. Take notes on any changes to your plan or new ideas that come up during the discussion.

Your goals can change as your life and health change. That is normal.

You might:

• Start with goals about feeling more stable and safe
• Later shift toward goals about activity, work, or travel
• Add goals about sleep, mood, or relationships

At follow-up visits, it can help to ask:

• “Can we review my goals together?”
• “Are we getting closer to them?”
• “Do we need to adjust anything in my plan?”

Checking in on your goals regularly keeps your care centered on you — not just on numbers.