A Prescription for Function: Expanding your Toolbox for Somatic Symptom Disorders

Dr. McIntosh Presenters: Catherine Sullivan, MD, and Christina Giudice, MSN, APRN, CPNP-PC Dr. Sullivan and Ms. Giudice presented on Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders (SSRD) and best care practices for patients with these complex disorders at PHM 2023. The presenters opened with the 2019 National Guidelines for Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders and provided definitions for specific diagnoses along this spectrum of disorders. The guidelines highlight that patients experience real physical symptoms that interfere with function as a result of underlying psychological stressors combined with persistent and maladaptive coping. They detailed the prevalence of psychological stressors and adverse childhood events and their direct causal relationship with somatization. The presenters then discussed the challenges that patients with SSRD and their families, as well as the medical team, face when searching for a diagnosis and cure. Patients and their families often undergo weeks to months of normal testing with simultaneous difficulties with everyday life due to ongoing symptoms. The presentation transitioned to inpatient treatment tools and they detailed a unique clinical pathway focusing on: Unifying language across all medical providers Validating symptoms Establishing a functional treatment plan The treatment for SSRD is a multidisciplinary functional intervention. Tools include a functional plan order set within an electronic health record and a daily functional and acti...
Source: The Hospitalist - Category: Hospital Management Authors: Tags: Mental Health Pediatrics PHM Coverage Source Type: research