PRESSS: A New Patient-Centered Name for an Old Problem, 2021, Ventres

I suppose the answer to "Have you ever experienced any stress in your life?", might be "Haven't you?".

 

I know it sounds complicated but it's actually very simple.

When a doctor sees a patient with unexplained symptoms, all they have to do is PRESSS this button



and voila!



Problem solved!

It's patient-centered because you ask the patient to stand in the center of the room just above the trap door before pressing the button.

 

The article writes:

"although “of some sort” correctly suggests a lack of exact clarity as to the elements at the root of physical symptoms, its vagueness intentionally invites patients to explore how emotional concerns might contribute to their origin"​

It really comes close to a parody.

 

I don't know why, but when I read this it made me think of Father Ted and the line "I hear you're a racist now, Father."

 

(My bold)

The use of the word "judiciously" in this context makes me think that the doctor prejudges his patients and decides that the patient is not physically ill as soon as they walk in the door. So, he then carries out the absolute minimum tests he can get away with (a Full Blood Count perhaps? It's what my doctors always do when they want to prove they really earned their degrees and I'm obviously wasting their time), and then can tell the patient they are perfectly healthy physically they are just under stress, and need anti-depressants.

 

I often use "or whatever" as a shorthand to the empty narratives they use to justify themselves but this is literally it. Stress... of some sort. Stress... or whatever. They are actually getting lazier with time, this is just very low effort resulting in accidental self-parody.

 

That made me spit out my orange juice!

 

On the face of it that sign makes no sense.

He's holding a handwritten/painted sign saying 'down with this sort of thing' where 'this sort of thing' is clearly standing around holding handwritten/painted signs protesting against people standing around.......