Stigmatization in medicine: impact on patients, healthcare providers, and ethical standards of care

Abstract

Stigmatization is a social phenomenon that adversely affects not only access to care but also the quality of medical services. Stigma occurs when patients – or even healthcare professionals – are treated differently, with prejudice or lack of empathy, due to certain traits, conditions, or social affiliations. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using scientific and official websites of Romanian, European, and global health institutions. Article selection employed predefined keywords (“stigmatization,” “vulnerable groups,” “quality of medical care”), followed by co-citation and co-occurrence analyses. This approach allowed identification of essential publications. Stigma in healthcare appears as discriminatory behavior that fosters exclusion, leading to delayed diagnoses, treatment abandonment, and loss of trust in the system. Vulnerable groups—such as people living with HIV/AIDS, those with mental disorders, LGBTQ+ individuals, substance users, the homeless, and ethnic minorities—are most affected. HIV-positive patients often face avoidance, while those with psychiatric conditions may be seen as “unpredictable” or dangerous. Stigma undermines the patient– provider relationship, discouraging preventive care and adherence to treatment. Healthcare workers experiencing their own health issues may internalize stigma, avoid seeking help, and compromise the care they deliver. Health-related stigma is widespread and takes multiple forms, profoundly degrading the quality of medical care and hindering patients’ access to services. Medical stigma generates serious systemic consequences: patients delay seeking treatment, avoid interacting with the health system, suffer emotional distress and burnout. These realities underscore the need for strategic interventions in professional education and legislation to combat stigma in healthcare.