Authors: Bourgois, Philippe PhD; Holmes, Seth M. MD, PhD; Sue, Kim MD, PhD; Quesada, James PhD

Publication Year: 2019

Last Updated: 2019-10-07

Journal: Association of American Medical Colleges

Keywords: Structural Vulnerability, Social History, Social Determinants of Health, Structural Competency, Health Equity

Abstract:

Operationalizing structural vulnerability in clinical practice and introducing it in medical education can help health care practitioners think more clearly, critically, and practically
about the ways social structures make people sick. Use of the assessment tool
could promote “structural competency,” a potential new medical education
priority, to improve understanding of how social conditions and practical logistics
undermine the capacities of patients to access health care, adhere to treatment,
and modify lifestyles successfully. Adoption of a structural vulnerability
framework in health care could also justify the mobilization of resources
inside and outside clinical settings to improve a patient’s immediate access to
care and long-term health outcomes.  Ultimately, the concept may orient
health care providers toward policy leadership to reduce health disparities
and foster health equity.

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Source: Link to Original Article

Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5233668/pdf/nihms790461.pdf