Hospitals, clinics, and palliative care units: Place-based experiences of formal healthcare settings by people experiencing structural vulnerability at the end-of-life
Date
2018
Authors
Giesbrecht, Melissa
Stajduhar, Kelli I.
Mollison, Ashley
Pauly, Bernie
Reimer-Kirkham, Sheryl
McNeil, Ryan
Wallace, Bruce
Dosani, Naheed
Rose, Caelin
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Health & Place
Abstract
The process of dying pronounces inequities, particularly for structurally vulnerable populations. Extending recent health geography research, we critically explore how the ‘places’ of formal healthcare settings shape experiences of, and access to, palliative care for the structurally vulnerable (e.g., homeless, substance users). Drawing on 30 months of ethnographic data, thematic findings reveal how symbolic, aesthetic, and physical elements of formal healthcare ‘places’ intersect with social relations of power to produce, reinforce, and amplify structural vulnerability and thus, inequities in access to care. Such knowledge may inform decision-makers on ways to enhance equitable access to palliative care for some of societies’ most vulnerable population groups.
Description
Keywords
Structural vulnerability, Palliative care, Access to care, Intersectionality, Therapeutic landscapes, Canada, Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health, Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR)
Citation
Giesbrecht, M., Stajduhar, K. I., Mollison, A., Pauly, B., Reimer-Kirkham, S., Wallace, B., … Rose, C. (2018). Hospitals, clinics, and palliative care units: Plac e-based experiences of formal healthcare settings by people experiencing structural vulnerability at the end-of-life. Health & Place, 52, 43-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.06.005.