J Am Board Fam Med
-
There are many words for what physicians commonly refer to as Somatoform Disorder. However, none is particularly patient-centered; to greater or lesser extent, they are all framed by medical jargon. ⋯ Using examples from practice, the author notes how PRESSS combines simplicity, ambiguity, and directness in one non-stigmatizing, patient-focused word. Combined with a patient-centered manner of communication, the use of PRESSS can help create the kind of shared therapeutic presence that is so important when attending to patients who experience the bothersome, unrelenting symptoms these conditions suggest.