What is it about?
People who inject drugs (PWID) frequently experience stigma and discrimination when seeking health care, particularly for skin and soft tissue infections. These cumulative experiences can delay or discourage individuals from accessing timely and appropriate care, contributing to poorer health outcomes. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility of a self-paced online educational program designed to improve health care workers' understanding of the experiences of PWID and reduce stigma within health care settings. Sixteen health care workers completed the program and participated in pre- and post-intervention surveys. All participants completed the program and rated it highly for its relevance, usefulness, and ease of use. Following the intervention, participants demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in attitudes toward people who inject drugs. These findings support the feasibility and acceptability of the online educational program and provide preliminary evidence that it can reduce stigma among health care workers toward PWID. The results also support conducting a larger-scale study to evaluate the program's effectiveness and its potential to improve equitable, compassionate care for PWID.
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Why is it important?
This study addresses an important and often overlooked issue in health care: stigma toward people who inject drugs (PWID) and its impact on access to safe, respectful, and equitable care. One of the study's key strengths is its focus on educating health care workers, as reducing provider stigma is a critical step toward improving patient experiences, engagement with care, and overall health outcomes. The pilot findings suggest that the online educational intervention can enhance health care workers' understanding of the lived experiences of PWID while equipping them with practical knowledge and strategies to recognize and reduce unconscious stigma in clinical practice. By fostering greater empathy, reflection, and evidence-informed care, the program has the potential to promote more respectful, compassionate, and supportive interactions with patients. Although preliminary, these findings provide encouraging evidence that stigma-reduction education may help address one of the significant barriers preventing PWID from seeking timely treatment for skin and soft tissue infections. By improving provider attitudes and interactions, such interventions may ultimately contribute to increased access to care, earlier treatment, and better health outcomes for this population.
Perspectives
Stigma is a complex and deeply rooted issue that can be challenging to address. I view this study as an important first step, demonstrating that stigma can be reduced when health care workers are given meaningful opportunities to learn, reflect, and better understand the lived experiences of the people they serve. By equipping providers with the knowledge, skills, and practical tools to recognize and reduce unconscious bias and stigma, we can improve patient experiences, strengthen therapeutic relationships, and promote more equitable, compassionate care.
Sandy Ezepue
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: An online stigma-reduction education program for health care workers working with people who inject drugs: Pilot testing., Stigma and Health, July 2026, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/sah0000712.
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