The aim of this thesis is to argue what it means to embody clinical competence for treating im/migrant patients. Im/migrants are a distinct yet heterogeneous patient population. They come to the U.S. for a variety of reasons, with a great diversity of backgrounds, upbringings, experiences, and ways of life. Considering the structural violence and push and pull factors directly connected to reasons for im/migration and experiences of distress upon settlement in the U.S., the central framework of this thesis is im/migration as a structural determinant of health. The operations of social structures, through policy, law enforcement, and discriminatory belief systems, make im/migrants structurally vulnerable. When healthcare providers treat im/migrant patients from a structurally informed approach to care, the context of these patients’ needs become more apparent and likelihood of positive health outcomes increases. Central to this structural approach, as I explain, is understanding how to best communicate with, gain the trust of, and provide effective social interventions for im/migrant patients relative to the operations of violent social structures. Im/migrant status truly is a determinant of health in its own right, and accordingly, care for im/migrant patients is also a specialized clinical realm with specific skills and competencies. As I argue, healthcare providers can only attain—embody—the competence for treating im/migrants through an awareness of how social structures affect these patients’ lives and modifies the delivery of care.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/43399 |
| Date | 18 November 2021 |
| Creators | Hyman, Jason Matthew |
| Contributors | Barnes, Linda L., Laird, Lance D. |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
| Rights | Attribution 4.0 International, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
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