Allied health report writing: resource curation

Posted On July 28, 2023

A lot of allied health professionals are spending a lot of time writing reports. In Australia many of these reports are for NDIS funding purposes, but there are many other purposes and audiences for allied health reports.

This post is a collation of documents and links to resouces that are designed to support allied health professionals to write more accessible reports that meet the intended purposes. I will aim to update it as new resources emerge.

I’m interested to know whether you have used any of these resources and how they might have helped you to improve your report writing. Also let me know what your favourite report writing tools and resources are!

1. VALID’s guide to NDIS therapist reports for allied health professionals offers 10 steps as a way to write reports. 10 steps to excellent NDIS therapy reports

1. Understand that the NDIS is different
2. Start with plain language
3. Provide evidence for everything
4. Make clear, strong recommendations
5. Understand ‘reasonable & necessary’
6. Explicitly respond to the reasonable & necessary criteria
7. Therapies must achieve outcomes
8. Stay within scope
9. Focus on readability
10. Be appeal ready

2. The Summer Foundation have updated their guide on writing reports, letters, forms and assessments for the NDIS. You can find it and other resources at this link: Getting the Language Right

3. The Summer Foundation and OT Australia have produce a guide for writing functional assessment reports for the NDIS which is based on suvey data collected in 2022.

Citation:

Winkler, D., D’Cruz, K., Minter, E., Mulherin, P. (2022). Providing an evidence base for Home and Living decisions: A survey of occupational therapists writing functional assessment reports for NDIS participants. Summer Foundation.

Providing an evidence base for Home and Living decisions

4. National 360 are a service provider and have produced a document describing the process from referral to report formulation. NDIS Clinical Report Writing

5. Provider Choice offer 5 rules for NDIS report writing. Best practice: writing for the NDIS

1. Clearly link back to NDIS goals
2. Include measurable targets
3. Give strong, specific recommendations
4. Answer the reasonable & necessary test
5. State the risk

6. Leap In! provide information on their website on writing reports that meet NDIS requirements. Leap in! How to ensure your reports meet ndis requirements

7. NSW Health have professional report guidance on the steps to supporting clients who may be eligible to access NDIS funding. Prfessional Report Guidance: Supporting new participants