SOAP, DAP, and BIRP are the three most common structures for clinical progress notes. They differ in how they separate what the patient reports from what the clinician does, which is why each one fits a different kind of practice. Clinic Scribe generates any of them automatically from the visit, and you can switch between them for the same session without recording again.
The three formats at a glance
| Format | Sections | Common in |
|---|---|---|
| SOAP | Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan | Primary care, pediatrics, cardiology, general practice |
| DAP | Data, Assessment, Plan | Therapy and behavioral health |
| BIRP | Behavior, Intervention, Response, Plan | Mental health with documented interventions |
When to use SOAP
SOAP is the default across most of medicine. It separates the patient's subjective report from your objective findings, which suits any encounter with an exam component. If you are unsure which format to choose, SOAP is the safe starting point. See AI SOAP notes for how each section gets filled.
When to use DAP
DAP is common in therapy and behavioral health. It merges subjective and objective information into a single Data section, which fits conversational sessions where splitting the two adds little. Therapists who want a leaner note than SOAP tend to prefer it.
When to use BIRP
BIRP is used in mental health settings that need to document interventions explicitly. By keeping the clinician's Intervention and the client's Response in separate sections, it makes behavioral change legible over time, which helps with treatment plans and insurance or case review.
How Clinic Scribe handles formats
- The Enhanced note reads the encounter and picks the clinically appropriate structure on its own; see what the Enhanced note is.
- Or you choose the format: generate the note in SOAP, DAP, BIRP, or a custom template.
- One session can hold notes in more than one format. Use New format to regenerate without re-recording.
- Set a default format once and every session starts there.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between SOAP, DAP, and BIRP notes?
SOAP has four sections (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan) and is standard across most of medicine. DAP condenses the first two into a single Data section and is common in therapy. BIRP uses Behavior, Intervention, Response, and Plan, and is used in mental health settings that document interventions explicitly.
Which note format should a therapist use?
Most therapists use DAP or BIRP. DAP is leaner and suits conversational sessions; BIRP separates the clinician's intervention from the client's response, which helps document measurable change for treatment plans and case review. Clinic Scribe generates both, plus custom templates.
Can Clinic Scribe write the same visit in more than one format?
Yes. Use New format to regenerate the same session in another structure without recording again. Each session can hold one note per format, so nothing gets overwritten.
Can I set a default note format?
Yes. Set your preferred format once and every session generates in that structure first. You can still switch formats for any individual note.