ADHD Assessment Tools for NZ General Practice
New Zealand GPs and nurse practitioners can now diagnose ADHD and prescribe medication without specialist referral. ClientForms gives you the clinical-grade DSM-5 assessment tools you need — with auto-scoring, HIPC compliance, and neurodivergent-friendly design.
What Changed in February 2026?
The New Zealand Government updated ADHD prescribing rules to reduce wait times and improve access to diagnosis across Aotearoa.
Before February 2026
- ADHD diagnosis required specialist psychiatrist or paediatrician
- Wait times of 12-24 months for specialist assessment
- GPs could only refer — not diagnose or prescribe
- Limited access in rural and underserved communities
From February 2026
- GPs and nurse practitioners can diagnose ADHD independently
- GPs can initiate ADHD medication (methylphenidate, lisdexamfetamine)
- Faster access — assessment within your existing GP relationship
- Better reach into rural, Māori, and Pacific communities
ADHD Assessment in General Practice
NZ GPs can now diagnose ADHD and initiate treatment — without specialist referral.
ClientForms gives you the clinical-grade DSM-5 assessment tools you need. Send a secure link to your patient, they complete it on their own device, and you get auto-scored results grouped by DSM-5 criterion.
- Comprehensive DSM-5 Adult & Child ADHD Assessments
- Auto-scoring with criterion grouping
- Comorbidity screening (GAD-7, PHQ-9, AQ-10)
- Neurodivergent-friendly design for better completion
ADHD Assessment Tools for General Practice
Everything a GP needs to conduct a thorough, DSM-5 aligned ADHD assessment — from initial screening to comprehensive diagnostic interview.
Adult ADHD Assessment (DSM-5)
Comprehensive DSM-5 aligned diagnostic interview covering all ADHD criteria for adults (18+). Systematically evaluates inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity across adulthood and childhood — with auto-scoring and criterion grouping.
Child ADHD Assessment (Ages 5-17)
Parent/whānau-completed assessment for children and young people. Evaluates ADHD symptoms in school, home, and social contexts using DSM-5 criteria — appropriate for the developmental stage and NZ family context.
Comorbidity Screening Suite
ADHD rarely presents alone. Screen for common comorbidities with validated tools — GAD-7 (anxiety), PHQ-9 (depression), AQ-10 (autism), K10 (psychological distress), and DASS-21 (combined screening). All auto-scored with clinical cutoffs.
How It Works for GPs
Sign up and create your practice
Free account in 2 minutes. Add your practice name, choose NZ as your country, and accept terms. No credit card needed.
Send assessment to your patient
Generate a secure assessment link and send it to your patient via email or text. They complete it on their own device, in their own time.
Review auto-scored results
Patient responses are automatically scored and grouped by DSM-5 criterion. Review the structured report in your dashboard to support your diagnostic decision.
Document and prescribe with confidence
Use the structured assessment data to support your clinical documentation. The criterion grouping aligns directly with DSM-5 diagnostic requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can NZ GPs now diagnose ADHD?
Yes. From February 2026, New Zealand GPs and nurse practitioners can diagnose ADHD and initiate medication (including methylphenidate and lisdexamfetamine) without requiring specialist referral. This regulatory change was made to address long wait times for specialist assessments across Aotearoa.
What assessment tools do GPs need for ADHD diagnosis?
GPs diagnosing ADHD should use validated DSM-5 aligned assessment tools that systematically evaluate all diagnostic criteria. ClientForms provides a comprehensive Adult ADHD Assessment covering all DSM-5 criteria with auto-scoring, plus a Child ADHD Assessment (ages 5-17) completed by parents/whānau. Comorbidity screening tools (GAD-7, PHQ-9, AQ-10) are also available.
Is ClientForms HIPC compliant for NZ practitioners?
Yes. ClientForms is built to comply with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 and the Health Information Privacy Code 2020 (HIPC). All clinical data is hosted in Australia (Sydney), which provides comparable privacy safeguards under IPP 12. We follow all 13 Information Privacy Principles.
How much does it cost?
ClientForms offers a free tier with 10 assessment responses included — no credit card required. Paid plans start at $9/month for unlimited responses with 3 forms. The Professional plan ($19/month) includes all 190+ forms, assessment bundles, and trend analytics.
Can patients complete assessments at home?
Yes. You generate a secure assessment link and send it to your patient. They complete it on their phone, tablet, or computer — in their own time, in a comfortable environment. Our neurodivergent-friendly design means better completion rates and a more comfortable experience for ADHD patients.
Where is patient data stored?
All clinical data is stored in Australia (Sydney) on enterprise-grade infrastructure with AES-256 encryption. Australia provides comparable privacy safeguards to NZ under IPP 12, and no data is sent to the US or EU. You maintain full control of your patient data.
Looking for Australian GP prescribing information? See Australian state-by-state guide →
Start Assessing ADHD in Your Practice
Join GPs across Aotearoa using ClientForms for clinical ADHD assessments. Free tier available — set up your practice in 2 minutes.