You may have noticed when trying to delete a whole form or field from the form, you see a notice that you need to lock certain clinical notes before deleting the fields or form.
When you click on the X to remove the form or field, you will see a message with a list of the unlocked clinical note(s). If the notes are not signed and locked, you will not be able to archive the form or field until they are locked. The reason for this is to preserve the data entered on the form or field while charting so it is not lost.
To proceed with archiving the form or field, you will need to lock the notes. You can click on the Edit Note button. Once the note is loaded, click Sign & Lock.
If you delete an option within a field, like a single or multiple select, you will not see a warning.
For example, bilateral has already been selected from the multiple select field. If we remove 'bilateral' from the field, it will still appear on the note until you navigate back to the form and click preview note again. However, If you add the option back, you can select it again in the note.
As a best practice, we recommend signing and locking notes regularly to best preserve the data of the note.
Learn more about Best Practices for Building Custom Forms which is designed to help you make the most of the clinical notes feature.