Methods: The cross-sectional questionnaire-based assessment was performed anonymously by 276 patients in psychosomatic rehabilitation at the end of their inpatient stay. In this way patient satisfaction, sociodemographic, disease-related and outcome parameters as well as rehabilitation goals at the beginning of rehabilitation and their attainment at the end were assessed in a standardized way. Results: The primary goals set by patients were related to symptom reduction and stress coping. Goal attainment scales based on factor analysis showed a high degree of goal attainment with respect to "life style and priorities" and "psychotherapeutic goals". Patient satisfaction correlated most significantly with the goal attainment level at the end of rehabilitation (r=.62), followed closely by the subscale "attainment of psychotherapeutic goals" (r =.57). With regards to the number of attained or non-attained goals it was found, that both had a significant relationship with patient satisfaction, but the non-attaining of goals (r=−.55) was more closely related with patient satisfaction than the attainment (r=.40). Discussion: The results confirm the central role of goal setting and goal attainment in rehabilitation. The explicit consideration of goal setting in the rehabilitation process as well as the assessment of goal attainment appears to be unavoidable. Evidence-based practice (EBP) can be defined as accountable health care policy that conscientiously funds those interventions whose effectiveness is supported by research. As applied to particular individuals, communities or populations, EBP uses best available evidence to make decisions about how to promote health. The EBP process integrates three domains of information: