19.05.069 Ettinger

’s Theory of Structural Competency Ettinger’s (2019) Theory of Structural Competency 19.05.069 is focused on the idea that structural contexts or ‘surface forces’ are understood to shape individual behaviour and experiences. This includes examining power dynamics such as race, gender, age, class, or ability as well as transgenerational or geopolitical events. This aspect of the theory suggests that it is important to understand the wider forces at work and to name them in order to better understand and address individual-level issues as they relate to a patient’s deliverables. The aim of this theory is to move beyond “diagnosis-centric” models of health care and incorporate a more comprehensive interdisciplinary approach. Structural competency connects an understanding of the social determinants of health with assessment, diagnostics, and treatment. Its focus is on individual-level patient stories as well as how wider societal and cultural factors can impact a patient’s health and access to care.