What action should a medical assistant take when a patient fails to keep an appointment?

Documenting the failed appointment in the patient's chart is essential for several reasons. It creates an accurate medical record that reflects the patient's engagement with the healthcare system. This documentation can be useful for tracking patient behavior, understanding patterns of missed appointments, and potentially identifying barriers to care. It also allows for continuity of care, enabling other healthcare providers to understand a patient's history with appointments and follow up appropriately if needed.

In addition, having a record of missed appointments can be important in the context of billing and insurance, as it may affect the management of the patient's case. Furthermore, it contributes to administrative data that clinics can analyze to improve appointment adherence strategies.

While reaching out to the patient to reschedule can be a proactive step, it should come after proper documentation has been made. Reporting to the physician may not be necessary for every missed appointment and may divert attention from more pressing patient care issues. Ignoring the missed appointment is not advisable as it leaves a gap in the patient’s medical records, which may lead to complications in their ongoing treatment.