A medical assistant encounters a situation where a patient is verbally aggressive and begins to raise their voice in the clinic hallway, expressing dissatisfaction with the wait time. The medical assistant needs to de-escalate the situation. Which of the following actions is MOST appropriate?
Immediately argue with the patient to correct any misinformation about the wait time and defend the clinic's policies.
Maintain a calm, respectful demeanor, and offer to move the discussion to a more private area to discuss their concerns.
Leave the patient unattended in the hallway until they calm down on their own.
Physically escort the patient out of the clinic if they refuse to lower their voice after one warning.