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DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!If this person does not come in,call him/her.If (s)he still does not come in,document that you called.An example:I was treating a lady who had 2 ulcerations.She proceeded to have her toes amputated.Upon my visit to her home,she said that I "took off the bone" and that she'd just as soon stick with the doctor who amputated her toes.Then,one of her neighbors showed up.He tells me:You(meaning me) probably did nothing wrong.She walks around all day without shoes.I had told her to stay off weight bearing.So i placed this little tidbit in the chart.If anything should transpire re a lawsuit,at least a jury will see that she was not compliant.

Tough to protect yourself from some one who lies, but I haven't met a non compliant patient who could keep their act together well enough to sue me yet. But I agree with you document everything....
Regards Phill

litigation isn't the only concern, what of the loss of ones "good name"... we must all know examples where patients have incorrectly explained to other clinicians (medical/allied) of treatment/advice given by oneself.....i had one which took a lot of letter writing to correct some medico's misunderstanding, i only found the extent of the 'misunderstanding' after perusing the complete online case file of the patient (it was like 'chinese whispers", the false claim went on and on).... i could only deny the alleged occurrence urging the medico's to read my entry of the occurrence in the pts file..........i realise fat chance of that happening!!