Market Research Company Research Articles

Workplace Support Systems in Small- and Medium-Sized Companies for Employees Receiving Medical Treatment in Japan

BACKGROUND: Maintaining one’s current job is important for patients. Few studies have investigated the presence of support systems in small- and medium-sized companies to help balance the therapeutic needs and occupational roles of workers in Japan. 
 
 AIMS: To understand whether small- and medium-sized companies in Japan have established workplace policies to help employees with chronic disease balance medical treatment and professional life.
 
 METHODS: We surveyed a sample of small- and medium-sized companies in Japan identified from a large database of corporate credit and marketing research companies between February and March 2017. A questionnaire addressed workplace policies that supported employees’ medical treatments and professional lives, such as flexible work arrangements and the preparation of manuals and forms to facilitate communication with treating physicians. 
 
 RESULTS: Of the 4158 companies initially contacted, 1140 companies (27%) responded to the survey. Of the valid respondents, 21% of the workplaces reported having established sufficient office rules to address employee’s necessary medical needs. Approximately half of the workplaces (53%) shared that they had a system in place to provide temporary medical leave for employees with chronic diseases. Few (12%) workplaces had established a process for having a trial return to work after a period of absence due to a medical condition. 
 
 CONCLUSIONS: Currently, a minority of small- and medium-sized companies in Japan have established workplace policies to address the medical needs of employees with chronic diseases.

A French Value Set for the EQ-5D-5L.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to develop a French value set for the EQ-5D-5L, for academic and clinical research, and for regulatory requirements for price-setting of drugs and medical devices.MethodThis study used the standardized valuation protocol developed by EuroQol, using computer-assisted personal interview software. A representative sample of 1048 French residents were interviewed by a market research company, under the supervision of the research team. Health states were valued using composite time trade-off and a discrete choice experiment. Modeling was used to create values for the 3125 possible health states. The composite time trade-off data were modeled using a Tobit model with censored observations at −1 and correcting for heteroscedasticity. A conditional logit model was used for the discrete choice results, and both models were combined using a hybrid model. An adjusted hybrid model was tested to correct for imbalance in the sample on age and sex compared with the general population. A comparison with the 3-level (3L) value set was performed.ResultsThe adjusted model was preferred to comply with the representativeness of the general population. It provided a value set for which all coefficients were logically consistent. Values ranged from − 0.525 to 1. The distribution of values presented a shift towards higher values versus the 3L value set. Ranking of dimensions changed. Pain and discomfort and mobility were the dimensions with the highest potential for disutility compared with mobility and self-care for the 3L instrument.ConclusionsThis study provides a value set based on societal preferences of the French population, using an improved descriptive instrument of health-related quality-of-life health states. It will contribute to improve the quality of cost-effectiveness analysis in the French context and help stimulate disease-specific quality-of-life references for academic-, institutional-, and industry-promoted studies.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s40273-019-00876-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

PNS362 EQ-5D-5L DATA FOR BULGARIAN POPULATION

The EQ-5D instrument is the most widely used preference-based health-related quality of life questionnaire in cost-effectiveness analysis. The new version improves the instrument’s sensitivity and reduces the ceiling effects. This study provides data for the EQ-5D-5L data in Bulgaria, based on a nationally representative sample. Sample recruitment and 1005 interviews were carried out by a market research company in 2018 with representatives of the Bulgarian population from all 28 administrative districts, with regard to age, sex and other social and demographic variables. Each respondent was asked to answer the questions from the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire (including the visual analog scale, EQ VAS) and some questions about demographic characteristics and socioeconomic status. The results of the survey show that people experience most problems regarding the pain/discomfort (40%), and anxiety/depression (35%) dimensions. Less difficulties are experienced in the dimension self-care (14%). Half of the population (50,05 %) feel entirely healthy according to all the five dimensions – mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression. The other half could be defined as unhealthy at a certain level. According to the VAS self-evaluation of the actual health on the scale from 0 (worst health) to 100 (best health), most people (62%) evaluate that their health is in the highest interval 80-100, with only 3 % stating it is in the lowest values 0-20. The higher intensity of problems and lower self-evaluation of the actual health are more spread among older people and people with low income. This study provides contemporary real-world evidence on the quality of life among Bulgarian citizens. There is a direct correlation between the age augmentation and socioeconomic status with quality of life. This data can be further used for improvement of the local adaptation of utility data in CE models.

Evaluation of the Choosing Wisely Australia 5 Questions resource and a shared decision-making preparation video: protocol for an online experiment

IntroductionChoosing Wisely, an international effort to reduce low value care worldwide, considers communication between clinicians and patients during routine clinical encounters a key mechanism for change. In Australia, Choosing Wisely...

CN15 - Unmet needs in oncology research related to radiological response evaluation: A multi-center survey in three European countries

BackgroundA standardized evaluation approach in oncology is essential to optimize treatment and management of patients. In particular, a medical software designed to provide standard metrics and reports may help the communication among health care professionals, facilitating the decision process. To this aim, a large survey study was conducted across the United Kingdom (UK), Spain (ES) and Italy (IT) exploring existing unmet needs and questioning the way oncological data is tracked in daily routine practice with the aim of offering some ideas for improvement. MethodsPhysicians were enrolled by an independent Market Research Company according to diiferent inclusion criteria: a) 2-35 years in practice; b) ≥50% of practice time in direct patient care; c) involvement in making treatment decisions ; d) involvement in ordering and reviewing tumour assessment reports; e) to be an investigator or author of an oncology clinical trial in the past 5 years.The study was conducted in November-December, 2018. ResultsA total number of 270 physicians (medical oncologists: n=180, radio-oncologists: n=90) participated (UK/100, ES/95, IT/75). The vast majority of physicians use Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria in their daily practice (86%). Guidelines for response criteria for use in trials testing immunotherapeutics (iRECIST) and modified RECIST (mRECIST) are also used by between third and a quarter of physicians. Of note, almost half of the physicians indicated that there is a low level of data management in oncology and 2 out of 3 agree that this negatively impacts therapeutic decisions. Over a third of ES physicians believe that there is a low level of data management in oncology and a similar proportion in IT and ES report that it is impacting therapeutic decision making. ConclusionsOnly a third of physicians view their current reporting systems as adequate. All participants agree that any reporting system is in need of a common shared template for radiologists and oncologists. Thus, physicians identify a lack of consistency in diagnostic assessments and delays in receiving the reports as key unmet needs in tumor reporting systems –indicating the need for a streamlined system. Legal entity responsible for the studyThe authors. FundingWehealth Digital Medicine. DisclosureAll authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

The growing (good) bubbles: insights into US consumers of sparkling wine

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate sparkling wine consumption behavior and preferences of a large sample of US consumers (n=1,096) exploring the differences among genders and generational cohorts.Design/methodology/approachThe sample has been drawn from Wine opinions, a specialized market research company with a large online panel of US wine consumers. Data were collected through a survey mailing model, administering a structured questionnaire.FindingsFindings reveal that consumption frequency between genders is not statistically different and women generally prefer sparkling wines priced below $15. Baby Boomers is the generation with the lowest sparkling wine consumption frequency. Furthermore, Generation X and Baby Boomers have the highest consumption frequency in the price range $15–$19.99, while Millennials in the $10–$14.99 one.Originality/valueThe study sheds light on the changing consumer attitudes to create competitive advantages for wineries. Specifically, it provides valuable marketing insights into the peculiarities of sparkling wine consumption for each generation (e.g. price-point preferences and type of wine).

IMPACT OF SAFETY CONCERNS ON A LIFESTYLE

Abstract. The main purpose of this research paper is too aware the people of Malaysia that how organic foods is beneficial and healthy compare to the traditional foods. Furthermore, the reason behind the research conducted in Malaysia was to discover the overall concept of Halal Foods. Mainly, the entire research paper evolves around the benefits of organic foods and its consumption. The most pertinent element is the healthy content and after that friendly environment strategies. Data were collected using a web-based survey to recruit participants from pools of consumer panels registered with a market research company. The technique which is used in this research is sampling technique. This study was limited as it was conducted only in the Malaysian city Kuala Lumpur, with the small sample size of 350 as well as the questionnaires was only comprising of close-ended questions of which the chances of inaccuracy is maximum. However, for future research the researcher should increase the sample size which represents the overall Malaysia by collecting the data from each region of Malaysia. Furthermore, the data collection should be done with the help of open-ended questions to reduce the inefficiency and inaccuracy of the study, more variables can also be counted in for evaluate the purchase intentions of the consumers. Keywords: organic foods; consumption; foods; Hedonic consumption

In Case You Haven't Heard…

A growing proactive health movement is driving consumers to treat food as a means to prevent, manage and possibly even reverse certain conditions, Food Business News reported Aug. 27. “What we see is an increase in the number of people who are trying products to make themselves better in the long term,” said Darren Seifer, a food and beverage industry analyst for The NPD Group, a market research company. Around 80% of consumers have adopted a “food as medicine” approach to eating, according to Nielsen, the data analytics company, and The NPD Group found a quarter of U.S. adults are actively trying to manage their health through food. Dairy, sodium and sugar are the most commonly avoided foods. While older adults may seek medicinal foods to treat physical ailments like aging joints or improve heart health, younger people are turning to food to manage issues like stress and anxiety. “Gen Z is starting to expect mental health as part of an overall health and wellness regimen,” Seifer said. “It's not just about parts of the body you can see or feel, it's also about the mind.”

Профессия «социолог»: история вопроса о профессиональном стандарте

Рассматривается история разработки национального стандарта профессии «Социолог: специалист по фундаментальным и прикладным социологическим исследованиям». Представлены этапы переосмысления профессиональным сообществом квалификационных требований к деятельности социологов. Проводится анализ дискуссий о критериях качества исследовательского процесса и его результатов, начиная с 1970-1980-х гг. по сегодняшний день; рассмотрены причины трансформации вопроса качества из методологического дискурса в нормативно-правовой.
 Статья будет полезна руководителям и специалистам исследовательских компаний, преподавателям и студентам социологической, экономической, гуманитарных специальностей, разработчикам ФГОС по специальности «социология», руководителям предприятий — заказчикам социологических и маркетинговых исследований.

Consumers’ responses to invitations to write online reviews

PurposeThe main purpose of the current research is to investigate the effectiveness of messages sent out by firms inviting customers to write online reviews. The joint effect of message framing, power and individuals’ need for status (NFS) on consumers’ intentions to write a review was examined.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a 2 (message framing: self-vs other-focused) × 2 (power state: high vs low) × 2 (NFS: high vs low) factorial design with message framing being manipulated and power and NFS being measured.FindingsThe results show that customers low in power are more likely to be persuaded by a message focused on others (vs self), and customers high in power show similar levels of behavioral intention regardless of message framing. Furthermore, this effect is significant only among those with a high (vs low) NFS.Practical implicationsHospitality practitioners may consider customizing the invitation message based on target consumers’ individual traits. They may either prime consumers’ status seeking intentions and/or sense of power, or gain such insights through outside marketing research companies. Depending on the characteristics of the recipients, companies can choose either a self-focused or an other-focused message to increase its persuasiveness.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies examining the joint effect of message framing, power and NFS on consumers’ willingness to write online reviews.

Knowledge, Trust and Experience Make the Difference: What the Public Think About Participation in Medical Research During an Influenza Pandemic - An International Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: The public and patients are primary contributors and beneficiaries of pandemic-relevant clinical research. We aimed to understand their views regarding participation in clinical research during a hypothetical influenza pandemic. Methods: International cross-sectional survey involving nationally representative samples in Belgium, Poland, Spain, Ireland, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, using a scenario-based instrument during the 2017 regional influenza season. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted. Findings: Of the 6804 respondents, 5572 (81·8%) thought pandemic-relevant research was important and 5089 (74·8 %) thought special rules should apply to make this research feasible. Respondents indicated willingness to take part in lower-risk (4715, 69·3%) and higher-risk (3585 52·7%) primary care, and lower-risk (4780, 70·3%) and higher-risk (4113, 60·4 %) Intensive Care Unit (ICU) study scenarios. For primary care studies, most (3972, 58·4%) participants preferred standard enrolment procedures such as prospective written informed consent, but 2327 (34·2%) thought simplified procedures would be acceptable. For ICU studies, 2800, (41·2%) preferred deferred consent and 2623 (38·6%) preferred prospective third-party consent. Greater knowledge about pandemics, trust in a health professional, trust in government, therapeutic misconception and experience of ICU as a patient or carer predicted increased willingness to participate in pandemic-relevant research. Interpretation: There is public support for pandemic-relevant clinical research. Tailored information, and initiatives to advance research literacy and maintain trust are required to support pandemic-relevant research participation and engagement. Funding: European Commission FP7 (grant agreement 602525); St Vincent's Anaesthesia Foundation; Cardiff University. Declaration of Interest: None declared. Ethical Approval: Ethical approval not required. The survey was administered outside of a healthcare setting by Ipsos Mori, an international ISO 20252 accredited market research company. Respondents voluntarily signed up in advance to the question panel and completion of the questionnaire indicated consent to participate. Respondents were able to refuse to participate in the questionnaire at any stage in the process. All data were processed in accordance with the UK Data Protection Act 1998.

Influence of political and medical leaders on parental perception of vaccination: a cross-sectional survey in Australia

ObjectivesThe aim of this survey was to investigate parental vaccination attitudes and responses to vaccine-related media messages from political and medical leaders.DesignThis was a cross-sectional study using a semiquantitative questionnaire....

A General Population Utility Valuation Study for Metastatic Epidural Spinal Cord Compression Health States.

General population utility valuation study. This study obtained utility valuations from a Canadian general population perspective for 31 unique metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) health states and determined the relative importance of MESCC-related consequences on quality-of-life. Few prospective studies on the treatment of MESCC have collected quality-adjusted-life-year weights (termed "utilities"). Utilities are an important summative measure which distills health outcomes to a single number that can assist healthcare providers, patients, and policy makers in decision making. We recruited a sample of 1138 adult Canadians using a market research company. Quota sampling was used to ensure that the participants were representative of the Canadian population in terms of age, sex, and province of residence. Using the validated MESCC module for the "Self-administered Online Assessment of Preferences" (SOAP) tool, participants were asked to rate six of the 31 MESCC health states, each of which presented varying severities of five MESCC-related dysfunctions (dependent; non-ambulatory; incontinent; pain; other symptoms). Participants equally valued all MESCC-related dysfunctions which followed a pattern of diminishing marginal disutility (each additional consequence resulted in a smaller incremental decrease in utility than the previous). These results demonstrate that the general population values physical function equal to other facets of quality-of-life. We provide a comprehensive set of ex ante utility estimates for MESCC health states that can be used to help inform decision making. This is the first study reporting direct utility valuation for a spinal disorder. Our methodology offers a feasible solution for obtaining quality-of-life data without collecting generic health status questionnaire responses from patients. 4.

Scheduling TV advertisements via genetic algorithm

Television advertising is vital to the television industry and is one of the most popular ways for advertisers to increase sales. This paper discusses the problem of scheduling TV advertisements according to each advertisers' need and budget limitations, with the objective of maximising total viewership. The proposed solution is the genetic algorithm, and its efficiency has been evaluated using list and random-list algorithms during long (one month) and short (one week) advertising campaign periods. Computational results show that this algorithm can obtain satisfactory results for real-world test problems, based on data from a marketing research company. [Received: 30 November 2017; Revised: 14 April 2018; Revised: 15 September 2018; Revised: 20 September 2018; Accepted: 22 September 2018]

Scheduling TV advertisements via genetic algorithm

Television advertising is vital to the television industry and is one of the most popular ways for advertisers to increase sales. This paper discusses the problem of scheduling TV advertisements according to each advertisers' need and budget limitations, with the objective of maximising total viewership. The proposed solution is the genetic algorithm, and its efficiency has been evaluated using list and random-list algorithms during long (one month) and short (one week) advertising campaign periods. Computational results show that this algorithm can obtain satisfactory results for real-world test problems, based on data from a marketing research company. [Received: 30 November 2017; Revised: 14 April 2018; Revised: 15 September 2018; Revised: 20 September 2018; Accepted: 22 September 2018]

Researching Mega-Events Under Regulatory Capitalism

A significant legacy of the 2012 Olympic Games was to demonstrate how such an event could be delivered within the governance structure of "regulatory capitalism." The delivery of the London 2012 Games was contracted to a private company, the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). LOCOG subcontracted packages of work, including Games research, which was conducted by a market research company as "sponsorship" in kind. Through an autoethnographic account of researching volunteers at these Games, working with the market research company, it is shown how: public accountability was reduced by the selective availability of research results; the access to research became a marketable resource; and research ethics of the private company were inconsistent with those required within a University. Therefore, the delivery of the Games through regulatory capitalism reinforced the unequal power relationships between the different event stakeholders. This leads to a discussion of implications for researching mega-events and the relationship between academic research and commercial researchers. These include the need for researchers to pay for access and to protect their intellectual property.

Using frame-based resources for sentiment analysis within the financial domain

User-generated data in blogs and social networks have recently become a valuable resource for sentiment analysis in the financial domain, since they have been shown to be extremely significant to marketing research companies and public opinion organizations. In order to identify bullish and bearish sentiments associated with companies and stocks, we propose a fine-grained approach that returns a continuous score in the $$[-\,1,+\,1]$$ range. Our supervised approach leverages a frame-based ontological resource which produces feature sets such as lexical features, semantic features and their combination. One of the outcome of our analysis suggests that the frame-based ontological resource we have used might be successfully applied for sentiment analysis within the financial domain achieving better results than traditional sentiment analysis methods that do not embody semantics. We also show the higher performance of a fine-grained approach based solely on the evaluation of specific substrings of the message, rather than on features extracted from the whole text of a financial microblog message through the frame-based ontological resource. We have also compared our system with semi-supervised and unsupervised approaches and results indicate that our approach outperforms the others. Last but not the least, our approach is general and can be applied on top of any existing supervised method of polarity detection.

Factors associated with cervical cancer screening among young unmarried Japanese women: results from an internet-based survey

BackgroundThe prevalence of cervical cancer among women aged 20–30 years has been increasing. A better understanding of the factors correlated with cervical cancer screening is vital to better identify suitable candidates and develop effective interventions. However, few studies have examined factors correlated with cervical cancer screening using a quantitative research design. Thus, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of and factors correlated with cervical cancer screening among unmarried and sexually active Japanese women aged 20–29 years.MethodsSeven hundred Japanese women who responded to an internet-based cross-sectional survey conducted by a marketing research company in 2015 were enrolled. Associations between lifetime cervical cancer screening and demographic profile, sexual behavior, and psychosocial factors were assessed via univariate analysis. Variables indicating significance (P < 0.05) were used in the univariate analysis to determine adjusted odds ratios (AOR).ResultsOverall, 383 (54.7%) respondents underwent cervical cancer screening during their lifetime. Multiple regression analysis indicated that age, employment status, income, lifetime number of sex partners, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, receipt of a free coupon for cervical cancer screening from the local government, perceived susceptibility and logistical barriers (cost/time), and confidence of receiving Pap testing from a male physician were significantly correlated with lifetime cervical cancer screening. Individuals aged 28–29 years (AOR = 1.86) and those with full-time employment (AOR = 3.30), income ≥ ¥ 4,000,000($35,000) (AOR = 1.60), > 5 lifetime sex partners (AOR = 1.97), HPV vaccination (AOR = 4.88), coupon from the local government (AOR = 3.14), higher perceived level of cervical cancer susceptibility (middle, AOR = 1.77; high, AOR = 3.23), lower perceived logistical barriers (middle, AOR = 0.55; high, AOR = 0.31), and higher confidence of receiving pap testing from a male physician (AOR = 2.66) were more likely to undergo cervical cancer screening.ConclusionsWomen who were younger and unemployed and those with lower perceived cervical cancer susceptibility, higher perceived logistical barriers, and lower confidence of receiving Pap testing from a male physician were less likely to undergo lifetime cervical cancer screening. Thus, to increase the cervical cancer screening rate among young women, it may be effective to target younger unemployed women, provide interventions to increase perceived susceptibility, and recommend tests while considering psychosocial barriers.

Topic modeling for analyzing open-ended survey responses

ABSTRACTOpen-ended responses are widely used in market research studies. Processing of such responses requires labour-intensive human coding. This paper focuses on unsupervised topic models and tests their ability to automate the analysis of open-ended responses. Since state-of-the-art topic models struggle with the shortness of open-ended responses, the paper considers three novel short text topic models: Latent Feature Latent Dirichlet Allocation, Biterm Topic Model and Word Network Topic Model. The models are fitted and evaluated on a set of real-world open-ended responses provided by a market research company. Multiple components such as topic coherence and document classification are quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated to appraise whether topic models can replace human coding. The results suggest that topic models are a viable alternative for open-ended response coding. However, their usefulness is limited when a correct one-to-one mapping of responses and topics or the exact topic distribution is needed.

Trade-offs, fairness, and funding for cancer drugs: key findings from a deliberative public engagement event in British Columbia, Canada

BackgroundSpending on cancer drugs has risen dramatically in recent years compared to other areas of health care, due in part to higher prices associated with newly approved drugs and increased demand for these drugs. Addressing this situation requires making difficult trade-offs between cost, harms, and ability to benefit when using public resources, making it important for policy makers to have input from many people affected by the issue, including citizens.MethodsIn September 2014, a deliberative public engagement event was conducted in Vancouver, British Columbia (BC), on the topic of priority setting and costly cancer drugs. The aim of the study was to gain citizens’ input on the topic and have them generate recommendations that could inform cancer drug funding decisions in BC. A market research company was engaged to recruit members of the BC general public to deliberate over two weekends (four days) on how best to allocate resources for expensive cancer treatments. Participants were stratified based on the 2006 census data for BC. Participants were asked to discuss disinvestment, intravenous versus oral chemotherapy delivery, and decision governance. All sessions were audio recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were analyzed using NVivo 11 software.ResultsTwenty-four individuals participated in the event and generated 30 recommendations. Participants accepted the principle of resource scarcity and the need of governments to make difficult trade-offs when allocating health-care resources. They supported the view that cost-benefit thresholds must be set for high-cost drugs. They also expected reasonable health benefits in return for large expenditures, and supported the view that some drugs do not merit funding. Participants also wanted drug funding decisions to be made in a non-partisan and transparent way.ConclusionThe recommendations from the Vancouver deliberation can provide guidance to policy makers in BC and may be useful in challenging pricing by pharmaceutical companies.