Tips for writing AHPRA case reports

Are you struggling to get started with your case reports?

Case reports are an essential component of the 4+2 or 5+1 internship, as they provide a valuable opportunity to demonstrate the breath and scope of your work as a provisional psychologist.  However, many provisional psychologists feel quite nervous at the prospect of writing up cases for both their supervisor and AHPRA, which can lead to procrastination.  This can create unnecessary stress as well as delays in meeting the internship requirements, and potentially delay your internship resulting in additional supervision costs (as the ratio of 1 hour of supervision to every 17.5 hours of psychological practice still needs to be maintained until you receive general registration) and lost earnings (as you are likely to earn more as a fully registered psychologist compared to being provisionally registered).

Another common problem with case reports is understanding the requirements and knowing how to get started.  This is precisely why I created the Case Report Challenge, which provides a step-by-step process to writing a case report in just 2 weeks.  The program contains short videos and instructions relating to various sections of the case report, including a clear overview of AHPRA’s expectations.

Below are some tips to help you get started:

• See this as a chance to demonstrate your skills in assessment, diagnosis, formulation, and intervention, and display the breadth and depth and of your knowledge. Ultimately this is a chance to showcase your work to your supervisor and AHPRA. This will also reinforce the great work you are doing with your clients.

• Set aside a designated period of time each day or week to focus on your case reports. Tackle small chunks at a time and take breaks when needed.

• Start with the differential diagnosis and diagnosis. This will ensure that all relevant symptoms will be included in subsequent sections and will also ensure there are “no surprises” (new information not provided previously) in the diagnosis section (this is much more common than you would imagine!)

• Wait until you have completed your first draft of a case report before submitting to your supervisor. Reviewing half-finished reports takes up more supervision time as your supervisor still needs to read the full report to ensure it flows properly, and that each section builds upon the next. 

• Aim for “good enough” rather than perfection. Perfectionism tends to create barriers such as procrastination.  Most initial drafts won’t be perfect, but with your supervisor’s support and guidance you will become more proficient in completing these reports.

For further support and guidance please see what’s on offer in the Case Report Challenge, or for more individualised assistance we would be happy to provide secondary supervision to discuss and review your case report.