Last updated on Thursday, 15, October, 2026
Table of Contents
How to Correct Errors in Medical Records: What PHC Indicator 161 Requires
Under PHC Indicator 161, a medical record error must be corrected on a separate line that carries the date, time, title and signature of the person correcting it. Cross-outs, erased entries and correction fluid are not allowed. The record review must also be able to find errors and document them.
This guide explains what that means on the ward, shows where hospitals usually slip, and gives you a correction template your staff can start using this week.
| Regulator | Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) |
| Standard | 30 (IMS-3): the organization regularly reviews medical records |
| Indicator | 161 |
| Priority | Critical |
| Applies to | Hospitals that keep patient records, paper or electronic |
Indicator 161 is part of the PHC Information Management Systems standards. For all 19 indicators, see our guide to PHC Information Management Standards (IMS 28-30).
What PHC Indicator 161 Requires
The indicator says the record review identifies and documents any deficiencies in the record. It sits in Standard 30, the standard about reviewing records, so it covers two linked jobs:
- Finding the errors. The review process must be able to identify deficiencies and errors in the record.
- Correcting them in the approved way. A correction goes on a separate line with date, time, title and signature. Nothing is crossed out, erased or covered with fluid.
Why It Is a Critical Indicator
Indicator 161 is one of four critical indicators in Standard 30, alongside timeliness, legibility and completeness (159), open and closed records (160) and corrective and preventive action (162). Together they show that a hospital’s review is real: errors are found, fixed properly, and acted on. A record that was altered silently, or tidied with correction fluid, undermines trust in everything else in the file.
The Correction Rules
| Rule | What it means on the ward |
| Correct on a separate line | Add a new entry below. Do not change the original in place |
| Date and time | Write when the correction is made, not when the original entry was made |
| Title | The corrector writes their name and professional title (Indicator 147) |
| Signature | The corrector signs the correction |
| No cross-outs | Do not strike through the original, including with a single line |
| No erasures | Do not rub out, tear out or overwrite an entry |
| No fluids | Do not use correction fluid or tape |
The PHC rule is to leave the original entry as written and correct it on a separate line. The strike-through point is our practical reading of the “no cross-outs” rule.
A Worked Example
Say a nurse recorded a dose as 500 mg when the prescription said 250 mg. The original entry stays untouched. Below it, the nurse adds:
15 Oct 2026, 14:20. Correction. The dose recorded above as 500 mg should read 250 mg, as per the prescription. Reason: transcription error. Corrected by: A. Khan, Staff Nurse. Signature.
Anyone reading the file later can see what was originally written, what is correct, who corrected it, and when. The example is illustrative only.
Adding a missed entry is different from correcting one. If you add something you forgot to write, date and time it when you write it, so the record stays an honest timeline (Indicator 146).
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Where Hospitals Usually Fail on Corrections
These are the gaps to look for in your own files. Each maps to the indicator’s wording.
- Crossing out and rewriting over the original entry.
- Correction fluid or tape used on paper files.
- Overwriting a figure or a word in place.
- Pages removed or torn out and replaced with a clean copy.
- A correction with no signature, or no date and time, or no title.
- A correction that does not say what was wrong, so the reader cannot tell what changed.
- A review that only counts missing forms and never looks for errors in the entries themselves.
- Errors found in a review but not written down, so there is no record that the deficiency was identified (see Indicator 162 on corrective action).
If your wards show more than a few of these, a monthly sample audit will show how widespread the problem is.
How to Comply with Indicator 161 in Six Steps
- Write the rule into your record policy: a separate line, with date, time, title and signature; no cross-outs, erased entries or correction fluid.
- Train every authorized staff member who writes in the record, and repeat it for new joiners.
- Remove correction fluid from wards and record rooms, so the wrong habit has no tool.
- Build error-finding into your record review. Reviewers should check what entries say as well as whether forms are present (Indicators 159 and 160).
- Document every deficiency a review finds, and the correction made (Indicator 161).
- Act on patterns. If the same error keeps appearing, record the corrective and preventive action taken (Indicator 162).
Correction Entry Template
Use this as a starting point and adapt the wording to your wards.
| Field | Entry |
| Date and time of correction | |
| Original entry being corrected (date, time, author) | |
| What was wrong | |
| Correct information | |
| Reason for the error | |
| Corrected by (name and title) | |
| Signature |
How Hospital Software Helps with Corrections
On paper, the pressure to “just fix it” with a pen stroke or a drop of fluid is constant. An electronic record can make the right way the easy way.
With CoreMedix hospital management software and the Electronic Medical Record from InstaCare:
- A correction is added as a new entry instead of overwriting the original.
- Every entry and correction carries the author’s name, title, date and time automatically.
- The original entry stays visible in the record’s history, so the file shows what changed and when.
- Typed entries remove the handwriting errors that cause many corrections in the first place.
- Your quality team can review a sample of records and the corrections made, without searching paper files.
Want to see how corrections look in a live record? Request a demo.
Prepare Your Hospital for PHC Review
- Download the PHC IMS checklist: all 19 indicators, color-coded critical and non-critical.
- Request a demo to see how CoreMedix handles corrections and the rest of the medical record.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does PHC Indicator 161 Require?
The record review must identify and document deficiencies in the record. An error is corrected on a separate line with date, time, title and signature, with no cross-outs, erased entries or fluids.
Is Indicator 161 Critical?
Yes. The PHC marks it as a critical indicator under Standard 30 (IMS-3).
How Should an Error in a Medical Record Be Corrected?
Leave the original entry as it is. Add a new line below with the date and time of the correction, what was wrong, the correct information, and the corrector’s name, title and signature.
Can We Cross Out a Wrong Entry with a Single Line?
The PHC rule says no cross-outs, erased entries or fluids. The safe practice is to leave the original untouched and correct it on a separate line.
Who May Correct an Entry?
An authorized person on your written list (Indicator 145), who signs with their own name and title. Authorized persons may not delegate (Indicator 147).
How Do We Find Errors in the First Place?
Through your regular record review. Sample current and discharged records, and check what the entries say, not just whether forms exist. Document every deficiency you find.
