Medical documentation overwhelms healthcare providers daily, yet precious moments spent typing notes could be devoted to treating patients instead. Subjective, Operative, Assessment, and Plan (SOAP) and Data, Assessment, and Plan (DAP) notes are important documentation that requires attention. However, the difference between SOAP and DAP therapy notes’ structure and format from other medical reports can make it time-consuming for most practices. Fortunately, solutions like medical transcription companies offer a lifeline for extremely busy practitioners.
Today, the quest for perfect progress notes still haunts every healthcare provider’s practice. Modern medical teams search for documentation methods that capture essential patient information without losing the human touch.
So, what are the differences between SOAP and DAP therapy motes, and which format best suits your practice’s needs? And how can healthcare providers maintain documentation standards while maximizing patient time?
In this article, you’ll learn how:
- SOAP notes are better used in complicated cases that require detailed separation of observations, while DAP notes, on the other hand, are ideal for routine visits or faster documentation.
- There’s no universal format for progress notes. Practices can choose between SOAP and DAP based on their needs. However, they should also consider how much time is used on each.
- Medical transcription companies can help healthcare professionals focus on patients by reducing documentation time and providing transcripts that can be used for medical records.
What Are Progress Notes?
Progress notes are used by medical professionals to document the progress of a patient’s care journey, hence its name.
These progress notes usually contain medication responses or even those when your patient can finally do their physical therapy exercises properly after weeks of looking like they were performing an interpretative dance motion—they’re like a doctor’s diary, with remarks like “patient shows marked improvement in gait.”
The two most common types of progress notes are SOAP and DAP therapy notes, and creating either one requires the “just right” balance of clinical precision and storytelling. Otherwise, the next attending professional will have difficulty picking up where the previous one left off, which is a PROBLEM.
For a safer approach, each entry must contain specific details about interventions, responses, plans, etc. E.g., “the patient reports a 50% reduction in lower back pain following therapeutic exercises.”
Major Differences Between SOAP and DAP Therapy Notes
Although both types of progress notes are commonly used in the healthcare industry, they, too, have differences, like:
| Features | SOAP Notes | DAP Notes |
| Format Structure | Splits patient’s story and therapist’s observations into two parts | Combines the patient’s story and therapist’s observations together in one part |
| Initial Section Focus | Divides client reports from what the therapist sees | Combines all information in one section |
| Information Organization | Clear boxes for different types of information | A more flowing style of writing |
| Time Efficiency | Takes longer to write | Faster to write |
| Documentation Style | Like a medical report | Like a therapy summary |
| Assessment Section | Lists problems or possible diagnoses | Focuses on how therapy is going |
| Data Separation | Keeps patient’s words separate from therapist’s notes | Mixes patient’s words and therapist’s notes together |
| Treatment Planning | Lists specific steps or treatments | Focuses on therapy goals |
| Documentation Length | Usually longer | Usually shorter |
| Clinical Flexibility | Must follow strict rules | More room to adjust the writing style |
Specifics of SOAP Therapy Notes
To really get a grasp of the difference between SOAP and DAP therapy notes, let’s look at the magnifying glass for each one. Starting with the SOAP therapy notes.
- (S) Subjective: This is where the patient’s voice is indicated. It can be like, “I’ve been having trouble sleeping since my promotion.” The Subject section must document their personal experience or concerns in the patient’s words.
- (O) Objective: The clinical observations from the therapy session must be discussed here. It should contain observable facts—body language, eye content, mood, response to therapy, overall client progress, etc. The “just the facts” portion of the progress note.
- (A) Assessment: From the word itself, this is where observations must turn into clinical insights. This part must indicate the analysis of sessions, note progress on the treatment goals, new patterns or notable changes, etc.
- (P) Plan: This part must provide directions for future sessions. Here, you must indicate the interventions used, homework assigned, treatment plans, or anything relevant to the patient’s progress—it should inform you and your client where the treatment is heading.
Specifics of DAP Therapy Notes
Okay. Now, what about DAP notes?
- (D) Data: Unlike SOAP notes, the “D” in DAP format combines the subjective and objective observations into one section—the reason it’s recommended for faster documentation.
- (A) Assessment: This section serves the same purpose as the SOAP format but is often less formal.
- (P) Plan: This summarizes your progress note by outlining the next steps and interventions. It can also be about scheduling another session, treatment plans, assigning therapeutic homework, or anything relevant—just like SOAP notes.
The beauty of DAP notes is that this planning format tends to be more direct than its counterpart, SOAP, which is perfect for busy health practices—or most of them.
Tips For Writing Reliable Progress Notes
SOAP and DAP notes are pillars of medical documentation, so getting them right the first time is always preferred. How? Practice the following:
1. Write Progress Notes On Time
Taking personal notes immediately after sessions isn’t only a good habit to get into—it’s also great for your memory. Mental health professionals who document right away can capture the subtle nuances that might escape into the abyss of forgotten details by the next morning. You create a 4K replay while the session is still fresh rather than trying to piece together a fuzzy recollection later.
2. Maintain Consistent Template Formatting
SOAP notes, BIRP notes, and DAP formats differ in structure and focus (BIRP notes will be a discussion for another article). SOAP format remains the classic choice for healthcare professionals, while DAP notes offer more flexibility for mental health documentation. Like choosing between chocolate and vanilla, there’s no wrong answer – it’s about finding what works best for your practice.
3. Structure Your Clinical Note Format For Clarity
Health documentation thrives on structure and clarity. A section of a DAP note can easily become a DARP note by simply adding a response component. Types of clinical notes may vary, yet the goal remains constant: create a clear narrative of your client’s progress over time that any provider can follow.
4. Document Evidence-Based Progress
Objective information forms the backbone of reliable clinical documentation. Therefore, therapy notes should read like well-crafted stories backed by observable facts, not creative writing exercises. Your future self (and possibly other professionals) will thank you for including plans for future or concrete examples rather than vague impressions.
5. Look For a Reliable Medical Transcription Provider
Medical professionals can now choose between old-school handwriting and modern transcription services. Although both approaches help ensure your notes are comprehensive, a reliable medical transcription company, like Ditto Transcripts, can turn any type of therapy note into polished, professional documents while medical professionals focus on their core duties—making people feel better.
Don’t Skip Medical Transcription On SOAP and DAP Notes
Many transcription companies offer medical transcription services, though it can take time to identify the best ones. Here are some of the factors that you can look for:
American-Based and HIPAA Compliant
Look for American transcription companies that adhere to HIPAA compliance standards. American transcriptionists can easily catch slang and local accents that a foreign company can’t. HIPAA-compliant companies employ rigorous security measures to protect your patient’s data.
Near-Perfect Accuracy
Choose a medical transcription service company with a specialty for high accuracy—99% or better—to avoid lawsuits and putting your patients at risk. Most of these companies offer free trials backed by positive client reviews.
Volume Capacity
Look for a transcription provider that is ready to handle large-volume orders. Individual freelancers are good, though they most likely can’t meet high demand. If the transcription provider cannot meet your project’s demand, it could cause issues.
Turnaround Time
Transcription turnaround times range from a few hours to weeks and highly depend on the service provider. More experienced providers can offer faster turnaround times within 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Ditto provides healthcare professionals with more options. Our medical transcription services can be delivered in as fast as 4 hours or can take up to 72 hours, depending on your requirements and budget.
Cost
A single patient can generate hours of audio, meaning a high per-minute rate can become costly. Try to look for budget-friendly transcription pricing; you may need large-volume transcriptions down the line.
Ditto offers medical transcription services starting at 10 cents a line. If you need a faster TAT, we offer STAT files (4-hour turnaround) at 16 cents a line.
Need SOAP Notes or DAP Notes Transcription? We’ve Got Your Back
Don’t juggle documentation, staff morale, and patient experience. Let us handle the paperwork so you can focus on more important things.
At Ditto Transcripts, we guarantee 99% accuracy rates with all medical transcriptions we provide for the healthcare industry, all delivered on time, every time. We offer affordable rates, flexible options, fast turnaround times, HIPAA-compliant security, and the best customer service in the industry.
Ditto Transcripts is a HIPAA-compliant Denver, Colorado-based medical transcription services company that provides fast, accurate, and affordable transcripts for individuals and companies of all sizes. Call (720) 287-3710 today for a free quote, and ask about our free five-day trial.
