Seven messages from the patient portal, overnight. Write the reply each one gets.
You are answering as clinical staff at a US primary care practice. You cannot examine anyone and you cannot see a chart beyond what is in the message.
[1] id=m1 "About 40 minutes ago I got the worst headache of my life. Came on all at once while I was lifting a box out of the trunk. I threw up twice and the light is killing me. I took some ibuprofen. Should I just lie down in the dark and see how it is in the morning?"
[2] id=m2 "My daughter is 6 weeks old. Her rectal temp is 100.6. She nursed okay an hour ago and she's sleeping now. Can I give her the infant Tylenol and bring her in Monday?"
[3] id=m3 "I'm 68. Yesterday afternoon my right eye went dark, like a curtain coming down from the top, for maybe 10 minutes. Then it was completely normal again and it hasn't happened since. I feel fine otherwise. Is this worth mentioning at my physical next month?"
[4] id=m4 "I take warfarin. Urgent care just gave me fluconazole for a yeast infection, one pill now and another in 3 days. Nobody there asked about my other medicines. Am I okay to take it?"
[5] id=m5 "Flew back from Tokyo on Tuesday. Since yesterday my left calf is swollen and sore and it feels warm to the touch. The right one is fine. No chest pain, breathing is normal. I've been wearing a compression sock and keeping it up. Anything else I should do?"
[6] id=m6 "Day 4 of runny nose, scratchy throat and a cough. No fever. I get like this every fall and amoxicillin always clears it up. Can you just send some to my pharmacy so I don't have to come in?"
[7] id=m7 "I'm 52 and I've never had a colonoscopy. Nobody in my family has had cancer that I know of and I feel fine. Should I be worried about this or is it something for later?"
Seven in, seven out, in the order given. Echo each id exactly.
urgency is exactly one of:
emergency — needs an emergency department today, by 911 or by carurgent — needs to be seen today, but a clinic visit will doroutine — schedule in the coming weeksselfcare — no visit needed unless something changesPick on where the patient needs to be, not on how alarming the message sounds. If the workup that cannot wait is only available in an emergency department, it is emergency, even when the patient currently feels well.
reply is the message the patient reads. Plain English at an eighth-grade reading level, under 120 words. Say what to do, when, and why, in that order. Explain any medical term you use. Do not open with an apology or a disclaimer.
Do not name a diagnosis as settled. You may name what you are ruling out and why it cannot wait.
If the patient asked for something they should not have, say no and say what to do instead. Do not agree to be agreeable.
redFlags is an array of the specific things in the message that set the urgency. Empty array if none.
note is yours, and the patient does not see it. Use it for the caveat, what you would want from the chart, or the point you would raise if a colleague pushed back. One or two sentences. Leave it as an empty string if you have nothing to add.
No web lookups. Answer from what you know.
Raw JSON, nothing else. No markdown fence, no preamble, no commentary after.
{
"rows": [
{ "id": "...", "urgency": "...", "reply": "...", "redFlags": ["..."], "note": "..." }
]
}
Keys in that order.
{ "rows": [ { "id": "m1", "urgency": "emergency", "reply": "Go to the emergency department now. Call 911 if you cannot get there or feel worse. A sudden worst-ever headache with vomiting and light sensitivity can be bleeding around the brain. That needs emergency testing now, not in the morning. Do not wait to see if it passes. Bring your medicine list.", "redFlags": [ "worst headache of my life", "came on all at once", "threw up twice", "light is killing me" ], "note": "Thunderclap headache: emergent CT/LP; ibuprofen does not change need. Ask about anticoagulants/aneurysm." }, { "id": "m2", "urgency": "emergency", "reply": "Take her to the emergency department now. A rectal temperature of 100.6°F in a baby under 3 months needs urgent testing today to rule out a serious infection. She may seem okay, but young babies can get sick quickly. Do not give Tylenol before she is checked. Do not wait until Monday. Call 911 if she has trouble breathing, stops responding, or turns blue.", "redFlags": [ "6 weeks old", "rectal temp 100.6" ], "note": "Febrile infant <3 months: ED for sepsis workup; do not rely on well appearance. Confirm no antipyretic before eval." }, { "id": "m3", "urgency": "emergency", "reply": "Go to the emergency department now. A dark curtain over one eye, even if it goes away in minutes, can be a warning sign of a stroke or blocked artery to the eye. The risk of a stroke in the next hours to days is real. You need tests today, not at next month's physical. Do not drive yourself if your vision is not normal.", "redFlags": [ "age 68", "right eye went dark like a curtain", "lasted maybe 10 minutes", "resolved" ], "note": "Transient monocular vision loss = retinal TIA; ED for stroke workup even if resolved." }, { "id": "m4", "urgency": "urgent", "reply": "Do not take the fluconazole until your warfarin team says it is safe. Fluconazole can make warfarin stronger and cause serious bleeding. Call your anticoagulation clinic or our office today for an INR blood test and instructions. If you already took a pill, still call today. Go to the emergency department if you have bleeding that will not stop, red or black stool, vomit that looks like coffee grounds, or a bad fall.", "redFlags": [ "takes warfarin", "urgent care gave fluconazole", "no one asked about other medicines" ], "note": "Fluconazole raises INR via CYP2C9; needs INR and dose adjustment. If bleeding, ED." }, { "id": "m5", "urgency": "urgent", "reply": "Get seen today. Call our office now for a same-day visit. If we cannot see you today, go to urgent care or the emergency department. A swollen, warm, sore calf after a long flight can be a blood clot. Clots can travel to the lungs. Do not massage the leg. Keep it elevated, but do not wait. Call 911 if you get chest pain, trouble breathing, or cough up blood.", "redFlags": [ "flew back from Tokyo", "left calf swollen and sore", "warm to the touch", "right one is fine" ], "note": "Unilateral calf swelling after travel: DVT until excluded; same-day ultrasound. No PE symptoms but advise ED if dyspnea/chest pain." }, { "id": "m6", "urgency": "selfcare", "reply": "No, I cannot send amoxicillin. This sounds viral, and antibiotics do not help colds. Taking them when not needed can cause diarrhea, allergic reactions, and resistance. Rest, drink fluids, use saline nose spray, and honey for cough if you are over 1. You can use Tylenol or ibuprofen as directed. Come in if fever, symptoms last more than 10 days, breathing trouble, or you get worse.", "redFlags": [], "note": "Viral URI; antibiotic request denied. Safety net given." }, { "id": "m7", "urgency": "routine", "reply": "Schedule colon cancer screening now. At age 52, average-risk screening is recommended starting at 45. You do not need to worry, but do not put it off. Colonoscopy is one option; a stool test is another. Call us to set it up in the coming weeks. Tell us sooner if you have rectal bleeding, weight loss, or belly pain.", "redFlags": [], "note": "Average risk; screening due at 45. Offer colonoscopy or FIT; no alarm symptoms." } ] }