Ask the Scientists

Join The Discussion

What is the context of this research?

For several years, under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Freyd, I have been conducting research on institutional betrayal related to traumatic experiences using a measure we developed called the Institutional Betrayal Questionnaire (IBQ). I have found that institutional betrayal is common, harms both psychological and physical health, and predicts disengagement from institutions.



Much of this research has been done with college students describing their experiences within universities. If a similar process is occurring within healthcare institutions, we can uncover an explanation for questions that have consistently plagued healthcare:



Why do some patients fail to improve with care?

Why do some patients ignore medical advice?

Why do some patients never return?

What is the significance of this project?

It is well documented that the degree to which a patient trusts their healthcare provider predicts their willingness to engage in treatment as well as their health outcomes. Yet, these healthcare relationships take place within larger healthcare institutions (e.g., hospitals, insurance companies) on which we are dependent for access to care. The influence these institutions have on patients' trust, health behaviors, and health outcomes has been a largely neglected topic in medical research.



My research aims to understand the effects of institutional failure to prevent or respond effectively to unexpected or negative healthcare experiences - what we call institutional betrayal.



What are the goals of the project?

The immediate goal of this project is to

collect a large amount of data about experiences in healthcare, previous traumatic events, psychological and physical well-being. The actual study itself will be somewhat simple - people completing confidential surveys online. However, this is the first time institutional betrayal has been applied to understanding negative healthcare experiences and we suspect that this concept will make huge waves. The research we have conducted on institutional betrayal surrounding campus sexual assault has impacted how schools and media talk about the harm of letting this problem go unaddressed. We want to change the conversation about healthcare in a similar manner. Once we have collected the data, I will write it up for my doctoral dissertation. However, the immediate plan (following the business of defending said dissertation) is to publish the study in a peer reviewed journal as well as publicize the results in various op-eds and professional presentations. Your support helps us take the first step!