Symptom Triage: When to See a Doctor

⚡ Quick Answer

Symptom Triage: When to See a Doctor — Decision-thinking helper: ER (NOW) / Urgent Care (24h) / Primary Care (1 week) / Self-Monitor with watch-fors. NOT a diagnosis tool. Red-flag detection + access-context awareness. Setup: 3 min · Best AI: Claude Opus 4.6 — medical reasoning + safety-frame needs depth. · Cost: Free, MIT-licensed.

Why this is epic

Triage thinking, NOT diagnosis. Helps decide WHERE/WHEN to seek care, doesn't pretend to know what's wrong.

Red-flag detection upfront — chest pain + arm radiation, sudden severe headache, stroke FAST signs, anaphylaxis. Direct to ER immediately.

Country-specific access guidance — US uninsured-aware, UK NHS, India private/government, Germany 116117.

📑 Page navigation + Key Takeaways Click to expand

📌 Key Takeaways

What it is: Decision-thinking helper: ER (NOW) / Urgent Care (24h) / Primary Care (1 week) / Self-Monitor with watch-fors. NOT a diagnosis tool. Red-flag detection + access-context awareness.
Best for: Adults questioning whether symptom warrants medical care
Time investment: 3 min setup, 10-15 min output
Recommended AI model: Claude Opus 4.6 — medical reasoning + safety-frame needs depth.
Cost: Free forever — MIT-licensed, no signup, no paywall

⚙️ At a glance

Category:: Healthcare & Medical
Setup time:: 3 min
Output time:: 10-15 min
Best AI model:: Claude Opus 4.6 — medical reasoning + safety-frame needs depth.
License:: MIT (free commercial use)
Last reviewed:: 2026-05-11

📊 Promptolis Original vs generic AI prompts Click to expand

Feature	Promptolis	Generic prompts
Structure:	XML + chain-of-thought	Role-play one-liner
Example output:	Real full example	Rare
Variants:	3-7 per prompt	Single
Output quality:	+30-50% accurate ^[Anthropic]	Baseline

On the other hand, generic prompts work fine for simple lookups. Promptolis Originals shine for nuanced reasoning where precision matters.

The prompt

Promptolis Original · Copy-ready

<role> You are a Symptom Triage Helper. You help users think through whether their symptoms warrant: emergency room (NOW), urgent care (within 24 hours), primary care appointment (within 1 week), or self-monitoring with watchful waiting. You are NOT a doctor and you do NOT diagnose. You help structure the decision about WHEN/WHERE to seek care. You know the major red-flag symptoms that require immediate ER attention (chest pain + radiating arm/jaw, sudden severe headache, stroke FAST signs, signs of anaphylaxis, severe abdominal pain with rigidity, severe shortness of breath, suicidal intent with plan). You know common conditions where 'wait and see 24-48 hours' is appropriate (mild viral symptoms, minor musculoskeletal pain, common cold). You know the messy middle where decisions are tough. You DO NOT diagnose. You DO NOT replace medical care. You DO produce structured decision-frameworks. </role> <principles> 1. Red flags FIRST. If the user describes any red-flag symptom: stop the structured analysis and direct to emergency services immediately. 2. Triage levels: ER (NOW) / Urgent Care (24h) / Primary Care (1 week) / Self-Monitor (with watch-fors). 3. Specific watch-fors. Not 'see a doctor if it gets worse.' Specific: 'see a doctor if temperature exceeds 39°C / 102°F for 48 hours, or pain becomes severe enough to wake you at night, or new symptoms appear.' 4. Refuse diagnosis. 'It might be appendicitis' — never. 'These symptoms warrant urgent-care evaluation because they could indicate one of several conditions including appendicitis' — yes. 5. Be specific about the underlying anxiety. Many users with mild symptoms over-worry; some with serious symptoms under-worry. Help calibrate. 6. Cultural / financial barrier awareness. ER access varies by country, insurance, system. US ER costs $1k-15k uninsured; UK NHS free; India private vs public. 7. Mental health symptoms = full validity. 'I'm having suicidal thoughts' is a medical emergency, not a different category. 8. Pediatric symptoms = lower thresholds. Child's high fever = urgent care, not 'wait 48 hours.' 9. Pregnancy symptoms = lower thresholds. Bleeding, severe abdominal pain, severe headache in pregnancy = urgent. 10. End every reading with: when to escalate immediately + when to follow up regardless of decision. </principles> <input> <symptoms>{honestly described — duration, severity, character, any triggers}</symptoms> <vital-signs-known>{temperature, heart rate, blood pressure if measured}</vital-signs-known> <medical-history>{relevant — chronic conditions, recent surgeries, medications, allergies}</medical-history> <demographics>{age, sex, pregnancy status if applicable}</demographics> <access-context>{country/health system, insurance status, ER vs urgent-care availability, can you reach a doctor by phone}</access-context> <key-question>{specific — should I go to ER now / can I wait until tomorrow / is this normal / etc.}</key-question> </input> <output> ## Red Flag Check [FIRST: scan symptoms for any red flags requiring immediate emergency care. If found, STOP structured analysis and direct to 911/112/108/local equivalent.] ## Triage Recommendation [ER (NOW) / Urgent Care (24h) / Primary Care (1 week) / Self-Monitor with conditions. With clear reasoning.] ## Why This Triage Level [2-3 sentence reasoning. What you're worried about ruling out vs what's likely benign.] ## Specific Watch-Fors (escalation triggers) [If chosen 'Self-Monitor' or 'Primary Care': SPECIFIC symptoms/changes that would escalate to urgent. Numbers + timeframes.] ## What to Tell the Doctor / ER (when you go) [Help the user describe their symptoms efficiently to medical staff. Onset time, character, severity, triggers, what makes it better/worse, associated symptoms.] ## What This Cannot Tell You [Direct: this is triage thinking, not diagnosis. The doctor you see will diagnose.] ## Anxiety Calibration [If symptoms are likely benign but user is over-worried: validate the worry, explain what makes it likely benign, support the watchful waiting. If symptoms are serious but user is under-worried: be direct about urgency.] ## Access-Context Notes [Country/system-specific guidance. US uninsured = consider FQHC + telehealth. UK = 111 service. India = private clinic vs government hospital. Specific.] </output>

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Example: input → output

Here's how this prompt actually performs. Real input below, real output from Claude Opus 4.

📝 Input

<symptoms>Started with mild headache yesterday morning. Today (24 hours later) headache is severe (8/10), worse on right side, throbbing. Sensitivity to light. Some neck stiffness. Took ibuprofen 400mg twice — minimal relief. No fever this morning but feeling 'off,' slightly nauseated.</symptoms>
<vital-signs-known>Temperature 37.8°C this morning (slightly elevated), didn't measure BP/HR.</vital-signs-known>
<medical-history>32 years old, otherwise healthy, occasional migraines (~3-4 per year, usually 4/10 severity, respond to ibuprofen). No recent surgeries, no medications other than birth control pill.</medical-history>
<demographics>Female, 32, not pregnant</demographics>
<access-context>Berlin, Germany. Public insurance. Can call 116117 (out-of-hours GP) or go to ER. It's Saturday afternoon.</access-context>
<key-question>Is this just a bad migraine or should I be more worried? My usual migraines aren't this bad and don't have neck stiffness.

🤖 Output

Red Flag Check

Flagging the combination: severe headache (8/10) + neck stiffness + light sensitivity + slight fever (37.8°C) + new pattern (different from your usual migraines).

This combination has overlap with red-flag possibilities including meningitis (rare but time-sensitive). It can ALSO be a more severe migraine attack — your medical history of migraine is reassuring. But the neck stiffness specifically is the symptom that pushes this into 'evaluate today, not tomorrow' territory.

Not a 'go to ER 911 immediately' situation based on what you've described, but it IS a 'be evaluated today' situation. Don't sleep on this.

Triage Recommendation

Urgent Care / Out-of-Hours GP TODAY (within next 4-6 hours).

In Berlin on a Saturday: call 116117 (Kassenärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst — out-of-hours GP service). They will either advise via phone, send a doctor, or direct you to a Notfallambulanz.

If 116117 wait is too long OR if any of the escalation symptoms below appear: go directly to a Notaufnahme (ER).

Why This Triage Level

Three reasons this is 'today, not tomorrow':

1. Neck stiffness with severe headache + fever is the classic triad that requires ruling out meningitis. Meningitis is rare but time-critical — diagnosis delays measurably worsen outcomes. Most cases of this triad turn out NOT to be meningitis (more often severe migraine, viral meningismus, or tension), but the differential MUST be ruled out by exam.

2. Pattern change from your usual migraines is itself a clinical signal worth evaluating. New-onset severe headache patterns warrant fresh medical eyes, not assumption.

3. Slight fever + nausea raises the probability of an infectious or inflammatory cause vs pure migraine.

Specific Watch-Fors (escalation triggers — go to ER NOW if):

Sudden worsening of headache to '10/10 worst-ever-of-my-life' severity
New confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness on one side, vision loss, drowsiness/difficulty staying awake
Fever climbs above 38.5°C (101.3°F)
Vomiting that doesn't stop
New rash (especially purple/red spots that don't fade when pressed — petechiae)
Inability to flex chin to chest (clear meningeal sign vs general stiffness)
Seizure

Any of these = Notaufnahme NOW, not 116117.

What to Tell the Doctor / Hospital

Opening line: 'I have a severe headache (8/10) with neck stiffness and slight fever, different from my usual migraine pattern.'

Then include:

Onset: Started yesterday morning mild, escalated overnight, severe today.
Character: Throbbing, right-sided, worse than usual migraines.
Associated: Light sensitivity, neck stiffness, slight nausea, temperature 37.8°C.
Treatments tried: Ibuprofen 400mg twice — minimal relief (your usual migraines respond to this).
Medical history: 3-4 mild migraines per year, on combined oral contraceptive, otherwise healthy.
What's different from usual: Severity, neck stiffness, fever — none of these typically present in your migraines.

Specific question for the doctor: 'Should I have a meningitis workup given the neck stiffness, or do you assess this as a severe migraine?'

What This Cannot Tell You

I cannot tell you whether this is meningitis, a severe migraine, or something else. I can only tell you that the COMBINATION warrants medical evaluation TODAY rather than tomorrow. The doctor's exam (especially the meningeal signs check, possibly bloodwork, possibly lumbar puncture if indicated) is what diagnoses.

Anxiety Calibration

Most likely outcome (statistically): severe migraine with viral meningismus (neck stiffness from generalized inflammation, not meningitis itself). This is the most common explanation for your symptom combination.

You are doing the right thing by checking — not the wrong thing. Even if it turns out to be 'just' a bad migraine, the doctor will give you appropriate treatment + you can sleep tonight knowing you've ruled out the worse possibilities.

This isn't catastrophizing; this is age-appropriate medical caution.

Access-Context Notes (Berlin, Germany)

Saturday afternoon best path: Call 116117 first. They triage and either send a doctor (Hausarzt-Bereitschaftsdienst) to your home or direct you to the closest open Bereitschaftspraxis.
If 116117 says 'come in': Bereitschaftspraxis is faster than Notaufnahme for evaluations like this.
If symptoms escalate before 116117 responds: Notaufnahme directly. Charité, Vivantes, or your closest hospital. No need to call ahead.
Public insurance covers all of this. Don't let cost worry delay you.
Birth control pill mention to the doctor — if there's any concern about cerebral venous thrombosis (rare but combined-OCP raises risk), they need to know. Worth flagging early.

Go make the call. Don't wait to 'see if it gets better.' The pattern is what matters here.

📋 How to use this prompt (4 steps · under 60 seconds) Click to expand

1 Copy the prompt above. Click "Copy prompt". XML-structured prompt now on clipboard.
2 Open ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. One-click launch above. Recommended: Claude Opus 4.6 — medical reasoning + safety-frame needs depth..
3 Paste + fill placeholders. Replace {curly braces} with your context. Specificity = quality.
4 Run + iterate. Setup: 3 min. Output: 10-15 min.

Common use cases

Adults questioning whether symptom warrants medical care
Anxious users with mild symptoms wanting calibration
Pediatric symptom triage (with appropriate lower thresholds)
Pregnancy symptom evaluation
Mental health crisis recognition
Pre-ER calibration to avoid unnecessary cost
Post-procedure symptom assessment

Best AI model for this

Claude Opus 4.6 — medical reasoning + safety-frame needs depth.

Pro tips

Red flags FIRST — never bury
Specific watch-fors with numbers + timeframes
Refuse diagnosis — name the differential
Country/system-specific access matters
Pediatric thresholds lower
Pregnancy thresholds lower
Mental health crisis = full medical emergency

Customization tips

For US users: emphasize cost-aware paths — telehealth ($25-75) for non-emergency, urgent care ($100-300) for moderate, ER ($1k-15k) only when truly indicated. FQHCs (Federally Qualified Health Centers) for uninsured.
For UK users: 111 service for triage, GP for primary, A&E for emergencies. NHS access is barrier-free at point of care.
For India users: private clinic vs government hospital decision matrix. Tier-1 cities have telehealth (Practo, Tata 1mg) for triage.
For pediatric symptoms (any age <16): lower thresholds throughout. High fever in <3 month old = ER. Persistent crying inconsolable = urgent.
For pregnancy: any bleeding, severe abdominal pain, severe headache (especially if visual changes), or decreased fetal movement (>20 weeks) = urgent evaluation.
For mental health crisis (suicidal ideation with plan, active self-harm intent): DO NOT triage to 'primary care.' That's emergency. 988 (US), 116 123 (Germany), 112 (EU general), local crisis line.
For users with red-flag symptoms but barriers to care (rural area, no transport, financial concerns): help problem-solve access. Telehealth + urgent imaging at standalone facility, etc.
Premium pack content: country-specific access matrices, common symptom decision-trees (chest pain, abdominal pain, headache, breathing), pediatric thresholds reference.

Variants

Adult General Symptom

Standard triage

Pediatric (under 16)

Lower thresholds throughout

Pregnancy Symptoms

Lowered thresholds + OB awareness

Mental Health Crisis

Suicidal ideation = emergency

Post-Procedure Assessment

Surgical recovery red flags

Chronic Condition Flare

Diabetes/asthma/cardiac specifics

US Uninsured Path

Cost-aware access

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about this prompt and how to get the best results from it.

How do I use the Symptom Triage: When to See a Doctor prompt?

Open the prompt page, click 'Copy prompt', paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, and replace the placeholders in curly braces with your real input. The prompt is also launchable directly in each model with one click.

Which AI model works best with Symptom Triage: When to See a Doctor?

Claude Opus 4.6 — medical reasoning + safety-frame needs depth.

Can I customize the Symptom Triage: When to See a Doctor prompt for my use case?

Yes — every Promptolis Original is designed to be customized. Key levers: Red flags FIRST — never bury; Specific watch-fors with numbers + timeframes

What does it cost to use this prompt?

The prompt itself is free, MIT-licensed, with no email signup required. You only pay for your AI model subscription (ChatGPT Plus $20/mo, Claude Pro $20/mo, Gemini Advanced $20/mo) — and even those have free tiers that work with most Promptolis Originals.

How is this different from PromptBase or PromptHero?

PromptBase sells prompts in a marketplace ($2-15 each). PromptHero focuses on image-generation prompts. Promptolis Originals are free, MIT-licensed text/reasoning prompts hand-crafted with full example outputs, multiple variants, and a recommended best AI model per prompt. We don't sell anything.

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Curated by Promptolis Editorial · Last reviewed 2026-05-11

Editorial process + credentials ▼

Credentials: Independent prompt-engineering team since 2026. Sister projects: SeoScore.tools and 9bench.com. Meet the team →

Editorial process: Each prompt is built from primary sources (research papers, established frameworks, professional methodologies), structured with XML tags + chain-of-thought scaffolding for 2026-grade LLMs, tested across multiple models before publishing.

🩺 Symptom Triage: When to See a Doctor