‘Why would I go somewhere where I’m not welcome?’ Dehumanisation of people experiencing homelessness in medical settings and the healing potential of a structurally competent model: a qualitative study

Prior experiences of exclusion within and outside of healthcare settings informed PEH's decision to avoid seeking healthcare until extremely urgent, and to deprioritise services like STI screening. In order to develop interventions to increase STI screening and other preventative health services, it is critical to understand the structural elements underlying relationships between PEH and healthcare systems, and the relevance of social exclusion beyond medicine. This street medicine team exemplifies features of structural competency, a model that may be integrated in other settings and in medical education to promote more equitable and inclusive healthcare.