Hi there, and welcome to AC. Yes this is something we have discussed for quite some time now. There is some amount of reason to have the records "locked" to show that someone didn't go back and tamper with the record. But typing is much different than hand writing. Many of us have suggested two fixes that I think should both be incorporated.
1) one frequently sees these mistakes no more than about 5 seconds after they sign the darn chart, "darn I forgot to change the date" or what have you. If corrected on the same day within a few hours or so, one should simply be allowed to change it without any record of the change. Seems I can change E&M codes with no real tracks. I do it all the time. I get the invoice days after the doc has charted the encounter, realize it should have been a CPE instead of a regular office visit and I just change it and it updates in. I can change or add Dx codes too.
2) Just as in a paper chart, docs frequently "put a line thru it" and initial the thing and then add the proper data or sentences or what have you. This is for mistakes made. But how many docs chart half the encounter on the date of service, and then finish it up later. Even go back after they thought they were done, because they honestly forgot to add one or two other subjects they and the patient talked about and nobody is the wiser and it really isn't cheating. It's really getting the record properly straight. Add to that encounter all that you really did. There is no malpractice or fraud in that. That is being accurate. And so AC needs to add features that will allow such things too.
But such is the state of the program right now. Save the charts to the provider's inbox until they are sure they really like it. Then and only then should they finally sign it. Lastly, make one or two false patients for the newbies and let them play with Brittney Spears and James Bond for awhile so when the do work on real charts they already have the hang of it. But that's another story... Good Luck and welcome.
