# Symptom Impact Log

For the method in [Keep a Symptom and Impact Record Without Self-Diagnosing](/articles/symptom-impact-record-not-diagnosis).
Log observations factually. Use AI only to organize entries into this format - never to score
severity, guess a cause, or judge urgency.

## Not for

Deciding whether something needs urgent attention. Follow your clinician's red-flag instructions
below exactly, and contact them, a pharmacist, or emergency services if one applies.

## Clinician-given red flags (copied verbatim - do not paraphrase)

Copy your care team's exact instructions here. If none were given, leave this blank rather than
filling it in with AI-generated guidance.

-
-

## The log

| Date/time | Observation (factual only) | Context | Impact on my day | Action already instructed | Source (self / device) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |

## My own notes (kept separate from the factual log above)

Patterns or thoughts you notice while reviewing - bring these to your clinician directly rather
than asking AI to confirm or interpret them.

-
-

## The two prompts to reuse

**1. Design the format once**

```text
My clinician asked me to track [what you were asked to observe]
between now and my next appointment. Help me design a simple log
format with columns for: date and time, what I observed, the context
(what I was doing, any relevant timing), the impact on my day, any
action I had already been instructed to take, and the source (my own
observation vs. a device reading). Do not suggest what I should be
looking for beyond what my clinician already told me to track.
```

**2. Organize entries into a clean table**

```text
Here are my raw log entries from the last [period]: [paste entries].
Organize these into a clean table with the columns: date/time,
observation, context, impact, action instructed, and source. Do not
identify patterns, suggest a cause, estimate frequency trends, or
comment on severity - only reformat what I already wrote into a
consistent table.
```

## Before your next appointment

- [ ] Every entry is a factual observation, not a conclusion
- [ ] Red flags above are copied exactly from my clinician, not AI-generated
- [ ] No AI output in this log identifies a pattern, cause, or severity level
- [ ] My own notes are clearly separated from the factual log rows