Respondent Familiarity Research Articles

Genomic Risk Profiling: Attitudes and Use in Personal and Clinical Care of Primary Care Physicians Who Offer Risk Profiling

Genomic risk profiling involves the analysis of genetic variations linked through statistical associations to a range of disease states. There is considerable controversy as to how, and even whether, to incorporate these tests into routine medical care. To assess physician attitudes and uptake of genomic risk profiling among an 'early adopter' practice group. We surveyed members of MDVIP, a national group of primary care physicians (PCPs), currently offering genomic risk profiling as part of their practice. All physicians in the MDVIP network (N = 356) We obtained a 44% response rate. One third of respondents had ordered a test for themselves and 42% for a patient. The odds of having ordered personal testing were 10.51-fold higher for those who felt well-informed about genomic risk testing (p < 0.0001). Of those who had not ordered a test for themselves, 60% expressed concerns for patients regarding discrimination by life and long-term/disability insurers, 61% about test cost, and 62% about clinical utility. The odds of ordering testing for their patients was 8.29-fold higher among respondents who had ordered testing for themselves (p < 0.0001). Of those who had ordered testing for patients, concerns about insurance coverage (p = 0.014) and uncertain clinical utility (p = 0.034) were associated with a lower relative frequency of intention to order testing again in the future. Our findings demonstrate that respondent familiarity was a key predictor of physician ordering behavior and clinical utility was a primary concern for genomic risk profiling. Educational and interpretive support may enhance uptake of genomic risk profiling.

Diagnosis Management of Obesity: A Survey of General Practitioners' Awareness of Familiarity with the 2006 Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: This study assessed Nova Scotia's general practi-tioners’ awareness of and familiarity with the 2006 Canadian Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management and Prevention of Obesity in Adults and Children. It also explored the frequency with which general practitioners measured adult or pediatric weight, calculated adult or pediatric body mass index (BMI), and measured adult waist circumference in overweight and obese patients. METHODS: A random sample of 425 office-based general practitioners was selected to complete a mailed questionnaire. RESULTS: Overall, 37.5% of respondents reported being aware of the guidelines. Those who were aware of the guidelines were significantly more likely to calculate pediatric or adult BMI than those who were not. The mean familiarity rating was low: the higher a respondent's familiarity with the guidelines, the more likely that pediatric weight would be measured and pediatric BMI calculated. Respondents with access to electronic medical records (EMRs) were more likely to calculate BMI and measure adult waist circumference than those without EMRs. CONCLUSIONS: General practitioners' awareness of and familiarity with the guidelines was low, but for those who were aware of them, the guidelines had a significant impact on the frequency of some of the recommended assessments.

Why do people non-demand reveal in hypothetical double referenda for public goods?

Hypothetical contingent valuation surveys used to elicit values for environmental and other public goods often employ variants of the referendum mechanism due to the cognitive simplicity and familiarity of respondents with this voting format. One variant, the double referendum mechanism, requires respondents to state twice how they would vote for a given policy proposal given their cost of the good. Data from these surveys often exhibit anomalies inconsistent with standard economic models of consumer preferences. There are a number of published explanations for these anomalies, mostly focusing on problems with the second vote. This article investigates which aspects of the hypothetical task affect the degree of nondemand revelation and takes an individual-based approach to identifying people most likely to non-demand reveal. A clear profile emerges from our model of a person who faces a negative surplus i.e. a net loss in the second vote and invokes non self-interested, non financial motivations during the decision process.

Assessment of sunscreen knowledge: a pilot survey

Topical sunscreens are designed to block and absorb UV radiation from the sun and have the potential to decrease the risk of skin cancer and delay the photoaging. Many studies have examined the behavior patterns of the public on sunscreen use, but little is known regarding the level of knowledge the public has regarding sunscreen. To assess general sunscreen knowledge of the public and to determine factors associated with sunscreen purchasing decisions. Individuals attending health seminars in New Jersey were asked to complete a 22-question survey regarding sunscreen. The questions assessed the respondent's familiarity and comprehension of sunscreen terminology, sunscreen application and sunscreen efficacy claims. Descriptive frequencies, Chi-square analyses and t-tests were used to characterize the responses. Four hundred and twenty-three individuals completed the survey. Approximately 86% of the subjects knew that sunscreen use could prevent sunburn, and 70% reported that sunscreen could prevent skin cancer. However, only 32.1% of respondents knew that sunscreen should be applied 30 min before going outside, and only 30% knew the appropriate reapplication recommendation. Merely 18% of respondents knew that approximately 1 ounce of sunscreen is required to cover the entire body. The overall mean composite sunscreen knowledge score for the respondents was 4.9 out of a possible 12 points. SPF and UVA are the most important factors that effect purchase decision. The study indicates that a majority of the subjects understand the benefits associated with sunscreen use, but their knowledge base is somewhat superficial. More education is needed on the appropriate application of the sunscreen. More importantly, the majority did not understand the subtle, but crucial difference between a UVA claim for a product and the SPF value listed on the product.

Cruise Line Logo Recognition

The North American cruise industry is experiencing a period of globalization and contraction. This study, via a survey instrument, tests the hypothesis that cruise line logos are not well recognized. It identifies factors that could lead to higher recognition rates, and discusses the importance of brand marketing as an industry matures. An analysis and interpretation of the results support the hypothesis. Major findings of the analysis were that a combination of specific logo characteristics and a respondent's familiarity with a particular cruise line or the overall cruise industry contribute to higher recognition rates.

AAES-Harris survey finds adults would be pleased if their kids chose engineering as a profession

This paper discusses the result of a Harris interactive survey, conducted on behalf of the American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES) with a grant from the United Engineering Foundation. From the survey, engineering received a higher rating from adults, whether or not they were parents, as a career choice for their children than either accounting or the ministry. Ratings for engineering as a profession were consistent across all groups regardless of respondent's familiarity with or interest level in engineering, as well as respondent's sex, age, or level of education. The contributing factors for choosing the engineering profession were also mentioned in this paper.

Perceptions of an Employee Assistance Program and Employees' Willingness to Participate

Little empirical research has examined employees' perceptions of employee assistance programs (EAPs) and their willingness to participate in them. A sample of 150 employees of a white collar firm was surveyed to determine the responden' attitudes, perceptions, and willingness to use various resources for help with alcohol abuse and dependence, their beliefs about the causes and stigma of alcoholism and reasons for drinking, and their levels of alcohol consumption. The results indicate that men and women appear equally willing to use EAPs, although they differ somewhat in their perceptions of and attitudes toward them. The authors also found that willingness to obtain help from an EAP was greatly influenced by a respondent's familiarity with the program, perceptions of its trustworthiness and opportunities for personal attention, level of alcohol consumption, and beliefs about drinking to reduce job-related stress.

Implicit leadership theory: A potential threat to the internal validity of leader behavior questionnaires

The effect of implicit leadership theories on consideration and initiating structure ratings from the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (XII) was investigated. Factor loadings obtained from students under a limited information condition were compared with those from reported field data. The consideration factors were found to be highly congruent, while initiating structure factors were moderately congruent. These results were consistent with comparisons from three additional samples varying in respondent's familiarity with the leader. Cues regarding performance, sex, and level of accomplishment of the supervisor were also examined in the context of implicit theories. Performance cues were found to have a highly significant effect on subscale ratings. The effect for supervisor's sex was marginally significant. Emphasizing behavior—attention—encoding—memory units inherent in such ratings, rater's limited information processing capacity was suggested as a possible explanation of results. It was concluded, after considering the generalizability of results, that the findings posed a threat to the internal validity of behavioral questionnaires.