Throughout history when an infectious epidemic strikes a community, healthcare professionals are challenged to preserve their own safety and fulfilling their commitment to continue serving their patients and the community in dealing with the infectious epidemic. This innate fear can subvert the effective functioning of the frontline doctor in the epidemic. This article applies the principles of professional ethics to the keeping of frontline healthcare professionals safe and empowered to continue discharging their professional duties and responsibilities. Central to this is the healthcare professional’s wellness and professional resilience.

This is a systematic review of the factors and reasons associated with follow-up non-attendance (FUNA) in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension in an outpatient setting. We performed a systematic literature search using electronic databases and related keywords with the PRISMA-P checklist, focusing on the factors, types of studies and number of studies that showed a positive, negative or neutral association with FUNA. Data was presented in three categories: patient, disease and medication, and healthcare provider factors. In total, 4,822 articles were reviewed. Among the 24 articles that were relevant to the stated objective, 83 factors were found to be associated with FUNA. A target-board model for FUNA was presented for clinicians to better understand the various aspects contributing to and implications involved in FUNA. Greater awareness and understanding of the multifactorial nature of FUNA and taking a multifaceted approach are important to effectively reduce this problem.