Allergy Patient Handouts: What the Take-Home Plan Should Include

The short answer: the handout a family takes home after an allergy

visit should say, in plain words, what the patient is allergic to, which

medicines to take and at what dose, what to watch for, what to do if it

gets worse, who to call, and when to come back. It should match the signed

note, and the doctor should review and sign it before it leaves the office.

By the time a family gets home, the details about the nasal spray, the

inhaler or the action plan can blur. The written plan is what they keep. For an allergy practice it is also the page most

likely to be read by someone who wasn't in the room: a school nurse, a

grandparent, a babysitter.

A model worth copying: the AAAAI anaphylaxis action plan

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology publishes a one-page

Anaphylaxis Emergency Action Plan (version 4/2026). It is a useful model for

any allergy handout, because every field answers a question the reader will

have at the worst moment. The form holds:

• Who and what: the patient's name and age, the allergies, whether the

patient has asthma (marked on the form as "high risk for severe

reaction"), other health problems and concurrent medications.

• What to look for: the symptoms of anaphylaxis by body system (mouth,

throat, skin, gut, lung, heart), with the reminder that "only a few

symptoms may be present" and that severity "can change quickly".

• What to do, in order: numbered emergency steps, with the specific

epinephrine device and dose checked off for this patient, a line for

others "including nasal epinephrine", and the warning that "asthma

inhalers and/or antihistamines can't be depended on in anaphylaxis".

• Who to call: 911 first, then up to three emergency contacts.
• Who signed it: the doctor's signature, date and phone number, and a

parent's signature for patients under 18.

Notice what it does not contain: background reading, a list of every

possible allergen, or anything the reader has to interpret. Every routine

allergy handout can borrow that discipline.

What every allergy take-home plan should include

Whether it is an anaphylaxis plan, an allergic rhinitis visit, an asthma

follow-up or a shot-day visit, the handout should answer six questions:

1. What do I have? The diagnosis and the allergens that matter, in the

words the doctor used with the family.

1. What do I take, and how much? Each medicine by name, with the dose

and when to take it. The medicines on the handout should be the ones in

the signed note, not a template list.

1. What should I avoid or change at home? Only what was actually

discussed at the visit.

1. What should I watch for? The signs that mean the plan isn't working.
2. What do I do if it gets worse? The steps in order, and who to call.
3. When do I come back? The follow-up, the next shot visit, or the

test that was ordered.

Write it so it is understood the first time

The CDC's plain-language guidance defines plain language as "communication

your audience understands the first time they read it or hear it". Its

advice translates directly to an allergy handout:

• "Put the most important message first." On an anaphylaxis plan, that is

the action steps; on a rhinitis visit, it may be the daily spray.

• "Break text into logical chunks and use headings."
• "Strive for an average of 20 words per sentence. Limit each sentence to 1

idea."

• "Limit paragraphs to 1 topic and 5 sentences."

A handout written this way is also easier for the doctor to check before

signing, because each line says one thing.

Where handouts go wrong

• The template wins over the visit. A generic handout lists medicines

the patient was never prescribed, or misses the one change made today.

• The handout and the note disagree. If the dose on the page differs

from the dose in the chart, someone will call the office, or worse, won't.

• Nobody signed it. A plan that goes home unsigned is a plan nobody

owns.

• It gets lost. Paper handouts end up in the car. A copy the family can

open on a phone helps, as long as it is the signed version.

What to ask of software that drafts patient handouts

If your EHR or an AI tool drafts the take-home plan, run a real visit

through it and check:

1. Drafted from this visit. Does the handout come from what was said

and decided today, not from a generic template?

1. Real medicines and doses. Does it list the medicines and doses from

the visit, and flag anything it isn't sure of for the doctor to confirm?

1. Matches the note. Is it drafted from the same record as the signed

note?

1. Signed before it goes home. Does the doctor review and sign it before

the family can see it?

1. On the family's phone. Can the family open the signed handout on a

phone, and can the practice expire or revoke the link?

Where Medora fits

Medora is an AI copilot built only for allergy and immunology practices,

and it is built together with a working allergy practice, Allergy

Affiliates in Bradenton, Florida.

• Medora Scribe listens to the allergy visit and drafts the allergy note,

and it drafts patient instructions and follow-up outputs from the same

visit, for the clinician to review.

• The patient letter lists real medicines and doses from the visit;

anything Medora is unsure of is shown to the doctor to confirm before

printing.

• After the doctor signs, the family can scan a QR code to read the visit

handout on their phone. Links expire, and the doctor can revoke them.

• The clinician reviews, edits and signs every note; nothing is filed

without the clinician.

Frequently asked questions

What should an allergy patient handout include?

The diagnosis and relevant allergens, each medicine with its dose and when

to take it, what to avoid, the warning signs, what to do and who to call if

things get worse, and the follow-up. It should match the signed note.

What is on the AAAAI anaphylaxis action plan?

The patient's details and allergies, asthma status, other health problems

and medications, the symptoms of anaphylaxis by body system, numbered

emergency steps with the patient's epinephrine device and dose, 911 and

emergency contacts, and the doctor's and (for minors) a parent's signature.

How do I make a handout easier for families to understand?

Follow plain-language practice: put the most important message first, use

headings and short chunks, keep to about 20 words and one idea per

sentence, and limit each paragraph to one topic.

Does Medora draft patient handouts?

Yes. Medora drafts patient instructions from the visit, and the doctor

reviews and signs them. After the doctor signs, the family can open the

handout on their phone by scanning a QR code.

See it on your own visits

• See how Medora handles allergy documentation
• Start the 14-day free trial of Medora Scribe (no card needed)
• Book a demo
• Read the buyer's guide to AI for allergy and asthma practices
• Read the case study from a working allergy practice

*Sources: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, "Anaphylaxis

Emergency Action Plan" (4/2026),

https://www.aaaai.org/Aaaai/media/Media-Library-PDFs/Conditions%20Treatments/Allergies/Anaphylaxis-Emergency-Action-Plan.pdf

(read 2026-11-05); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Plain

Language Materials & Resources" (July 21, 2025),

https://www.cdc.gov/health-literacy/php/develop-materials/plain-language.html

(read 2026-11-05). This article is general information, not clinical

advice.*