Clinical notes are a vital part of your patients’ records. You want to make certain that the notes accurately record the condition of your patients and the treatment you give them. For added security, Dentrix locks a clinical note from being changed after it is signed or after end-of-the-month procedures are completed. However, these records may need to be updated from time to time.
If you ever need to clarify, correct, or add more details to a clinical note that has been locked (either automatically at month-end or by signing it), you cannot just edit the note. However, you can add an addendum.
Here’s how:
- In the Patient Chart, select the patient whose clinical note you need to make an addendum to.
- In the Clinical Notes Panel, click the Clinical Notes tab, select the appropriate clinical note and click the New Addendum button.
- If needed, use the provider drop-down list to select the appropriate provider for the addendum.
- Enter the new, corrected information for the addendum and click OK.
- Click OK to the warning message asking if you want to add the addendum.
The addendum is immediately added to the beginning of the original clinical note with today’s date and is automatically “signed” by the provider you selected, immediately locking the note from further editing.
When amending the original clinical note, keep the following in mind:
- Make sure the date is correct on the addendum. The date should reflect when the change is made, not necessarily the date of the original note.
- If you are not the author of the original clinical note, confirm the content of the addendum with the original author.
- Note the justification for the modification to the original clinical note within the addendum.
- You have access to your clinical note templates from with the New Addendum dialog box to use as needed.
Additional Information
- Read Adding an Addendum to a Clinical Note topic in Dentrix Help, and view a video within that help topic to demonstrate the steps.
- Read our previous tip titled, Protect Your Clinical Notes from Tampering.