Helbredsmål

Helbredsmål, or health targets, are defined objectives related to the health of individuals or populations. They are used by governments, health authorities, organizations, and individuals to aim for improvements in health outcomes, risk factors, and health-system performance. Helbredsmål can be set at national, regional, or local levels and may address prevention, treatment, equity, and quality of care.

In public health, helbredsmål describe desired changes in indicators such as smoking prevalence, physical activity, obesity rates, vaccination coverage, cardiovascular risk, life expectancy, and premature mortality. They are commonly part of strategic plans and linked to budgets, programs, and monitoring systems.

Targets are typically formulated as SMART indicators with baselines, clearly defined numerators and denominators, data sources, and time horizons. They may include delmål (sub-goals) and end goals, and progress is tracked through surveillance data, health surveys, or administrative registers. When progress stalls, strategies may be revised.

In clinical care, individuals may set helbredsmål for personal health objectives, such as blood pressure control, glucose control, smoking cessation, or weight management, integrated into shared decision-making. Critics argue that an excessive focus on targets can overlook patient preferences, health equity, or data quality, and may privilege measurement over meaningful outcomes.