Correcting a signed note
Learn what signing locks on a clinical note, how to correct a signed note with an amendment, and what history and sharing actions remain available on the patient chart or visit.
Signed notes are corrected from the patient chart or visit itself. After you sign, the note stays part of the record, and any later change is shown as an amendment instead of silently replacing the signed text.
How do I open the note I need to correct?
In the left sidebar, click Patients and open the patient, or click Visits and open the visit that holds the note. On a patient chart or visit, open the note from the Notes section before you make changes.
In the Notes section (1), you will find the note cards for that chart or visit. The number beside Notes (2) shows how many notes are already there. Add a note (3) starts a new note, which is useful for new documentation but does not change a note that is already signed.
Select the note card for the signed note you need. If it is already open in its own tab, start there.
What stays locked after I sign a note?
On the open note on the patient chart or visit, a signed note still looks like the note editor, but it no longer behaves like a draft.
- The badge reads Signed, not Draft.
- Editing the content starts an amendment instead of changing the signed version in place.
- Paragraph blocks that Ona filled before signing become ordinary text with Ona markers, so later changes to that text also become amendments instead of replacing the signed note.
- The note does not go back to the ordinary draft state you had before signing.
- At the bottom, the note carries a Signed by list with an avatar for each signer and one row per signer. It can also show Drafted by.
- Signer rows can include details such as IP and UA when present.
- If you have not signed the note yet, you may see Add my signature. This adds your signature without unlocking the signed content.
This is deliberate. A signed note is part of the legal medical record, so the signed version cannot be quietly changed later.
How do I correct a signed note?
In the left sidebar, click Patients and open the patient, or click Visits and open the visit that holds the note. On the open signed note on a patient chart or visit, change the text that needs to be corrected. Ona treats that change as an amendment, not as a silent edit to the original note.
- Open the signed note you need from the chart or visit Notes section.
- Change the note content that needs to be corrected.
- In Reason for amendment, enter why you are correcting the note.
After you change the content, the note shows Amending… (2) until the amendment is signed. The original signed note stays visible, and the amendment history section (3) stays attached to that note.
To finish signing the amendment, use the same signing flow you use for any other note. For the full signing steps, see Reviewing and signing an AI-drafted note.
What does amendment history show?
On the patient chart or visit, open the amendment history section at the bottom of the note. Its label includes the number of amendments, such as Amendment history (3).
Each amendment shows:
- its reason
- whether it is Signed or Draft
- the date
- a Changes diff
The diff is line by line, so you can see what was added, removed, or left the same. That includes paragraph-style content that now lives as text with Ona markers and text at the start of a line that settles differently after editing. This gives the note a visible correction history instead of replacing the earlier signed content.
What else can I still do with a signed note?
On the patient chart or visit, the note's actions still let you send or share the signed version without changing its content.
The menu can offer:
- Export PDF
- Share with patient
- Stop sharing with patient
- Send via fax when fax is set up
These actions do not change the signed note. Sharing changes whether the patient can read it. Exporting and faxing send a PDF copy. If another signer needs to add their name without changing the content, they can use Add my signature. For more on these actions, see Exporting and sharing notes and Co-signing a note.
Why should I review a note carefully before I sign it?
On the patient chart or visit, the draft stage is where editing is free and easy.
Use Review note text (1) to scan the draft for mistakes, missing details, and templated phrases that do not fit. When the note is ready, select Sign (2) to lock that version; later corrections then become amendments with a visible reason and history.
What can't I do here?
On signed notes on the patient chart or visit, access and actions are limited in these ways:
- You cannot quietly edit the signed version in place. Any change becomes an amendment.
- You cannot delete a signed note here. Delete is offered only on unsigned notes.
- You cannot share an unsigned note with the patient. Patient sharing is offered only for signed notes.
- You cannot use Send via fax unless fax is set up for your organization.
- On an archived patient's chart or visit, notes are read-only, so you cannot amend, share, fax, or start a new note.
Common questions
What happens if I sign the wrong note?
If the note was signed in genuine error for the wrong patient or wrong visit, treat that as a records issue rather than a clinical correction. Contact your Ona administrator instead of trying to work around the record.
Does Add my signature change the note?
No. Add my signature adds your signature without changing the signed content.
Why does the note show Amending…?
It means a correction has been started but the amendment has not been signed yet.
Will Share with patient, Export PDF, or Send via fax change the note?
No. Those actions send or expose the signed version. They do not change the signed content.
Why is an amendment marked Draft?
It means the amendment exists, but it has not been signed yet.
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