Opinion Survey Research Articles

Trust the People? Populism, Trust, and Support for Direct Democracy

Populism is commonly understood as a response to frustrations with the functioning of modern democracy, while the use of direct democratic mechanisms has been hailed as a remedy for the ailing of representative democracies. Indeed, populism’s emphasis on direct citizen participation in decision-making is tightly linked to its distrust of representative institutions and the political elite as the cornerstone of mediated representation. Trust, however, matters for any functioning democratic institutional arrangement, and we contend that its role warrants more attention when considering the viability of alternative modes of decision-making such as referendums, particularly in the nexus of populism–democracy. Using original public opinion surveys implemented in Argentina, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, we distinguish among different objects of trust—elites, institutions, “the people,” or the society at large. We also explore citizens’ levels of trust in these objects and their association with institutional designs of direct democracy. Our results offer preliminary insights into the importance of horizontal and vertical trust relationships in shaping procedural preferences for different configurations of direct democracy.

Cloud-Based Automatic Configuration and Disaster Recovery of Communication Systems Applied in Engineering Training

Network management and troubleshooting require not only a grasp of advanced concepts but also the development of analytical and problem-solving skills. To bridge this gap, this paper introduces a novel network administration system, DRACSC (Spanish acronym for device for automatic recovery and configuration of communication systems), designed for the automatic configuration and disaster recovery of communication equipment. This system transcends the limitations of current hardware and software solutions by combining their advantages, boasting portability, automated functions, and a cloud-based repository as its main features. The DRACSC system, undergoing a comprehensive large-scale evaluation involving diverse user groups across multiple institutions, was tested with 89 users, including students and teachers at educational centers and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) professionals. The benefits of the system were evaluated through a training program based on simulated real-world ICT environments, focusing on both quantitative results on the reduction in time to complete user tasks, as well as qualitative results on the interface and usability of the system. Statistical analysis, including Welch’s t-test on opinion surveys, indicated a significant increase in knowledge and understanding, demonstrating the system’s potential to enhance education and practice. Moreover, the evaluation shed light on the user experience, with positive impacts observed for learning and teaching implications. As a result, the study has verified that the system has the potential to significantly influence network management practices, enhancing both learning and professional application through improved efficiency and usability.

Should we measure quality of life among people with HIV? A multicentre survey of physicians' opinions in Spain.

We assessed the opinions of physicians caring for people with HIV (PWH) from the multicentre Spanish CoRIS cohort regarding the assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We designed an online self-administered questionnaire comprising 27 structured questions across four domains: (i) sociodemographic and clinical data; (ii) usefulness of measuring HRQoL; (iii) information, training and resource needed; and (iv) whether and how HRQoL should be measured. Physicians completed the questionnaire between April and June 2023. Of 131 physicians surveyed [53.8% men, median age 52 years (interquartile range: 42-60)], 90.9% and 88.6% agreed that measuring HRQoL is useful for both PWH and medical decision-making, respectively. However, 67.2% needed training on what HRQoL is and how to measure it, 79.4% required information on validated tools, and 80.9% felt that clinical guidelines are needed. Overall, 90.1% of physicians agreed that HRQoL should be measured among PWH. Most physicians (82.8%) supported using specific scales for PWH, with 74.1% recommending annual measurement, 49.1% suggesting that nurses from HIV units conduct the assessments, and 43.1% favouring personal interviews during medical visits. At the time of the survey, 55.3% of physicians did not measure HRQoL in any patients due to time or resource constraints (75.8%). Despite the recognized importance of HRQoL measurement in PWH, Spanish physicians encounter barriers such as time constraints and limited resources. Developing clear guidelines, using tailored scales, and integrating digital tools along with multidisciplinary support could enhance routine HRQoL assessments and improve patient-centred care.

OS DESAFIOS DA IMPLANTAÇÃO DA METODOLOGIA BIM EM ESCRITÓRIOS DE ARQUITETURA NA CIDADE DE VITÓRIA DA CONQUISTA – BA

Building Information Modeling (BIM) can be defined as a methodology that uses 3D models and their detailed data on all elements involved in a civil construction project. As society is a constantly evolving organism, the Construction Industry has faced the need to adapt in order to deliver better productivity results, thereby meeting increasingly meticulous demands more effectively. Scientific research has shown that the use of BIM can reduce project completion times in infrastructure by up to half. Given this, why is the number of architecture and urban planning firms in Vitória da Conquista – BA, that use this methodology still so minimal? This article, through bibliographic research as well as opinion surveys with architects and urban planners from the city of Vitória da Conquista, aims to demonstrate the challenges of implementing Building Information Modeling (BIM) methodology in offices in Vitória da Conquista – BA. Thus, the points discussed in this work will provide a reflection on this question, the conclusion of which will depend on the awareness and experience of each participating architect, as well as the robustness of the understandings used to support the content in the following sections.

디자인 씽킹을 접목한 중학교 인성교육 프로그램 개발 연구

Objectives This study aimed to structure the content framework of a middle school character education curriculum by grafting design thinking and to develop a character education program. Methods The developed program was applied within the school and supplemented by receiving feedback, and the effectiveness of the program was verified using a paired-sample t-test in a single group pre- and post-test. Through this, the degree of students' character literacy development and the adequacy of the program were evaluated. In addition, we analyzed the opinions collected through opinion surveys and personal interviews of students who participated in each character education strategy. Results The detailed results of research and development are as follows. (1) Construction of middle school character curriculum content system grafting design thinking, (2) Establishment of middle school character curriculum types grafting design thinking, (3) 9 programs of middle school character education grafting design thinking, (4) The design content of the middle school character education program grafting design thinking, (5) The degree of character literacy cultivation. In these five aspects, the validity and effectiveness of the middle school character education program graftin design thinking was confirmed. Conclusions Firstly, a curriculum for systematic and comprehensive character curriculum is needed for the holistic growth of students. Secondly, combining character education and design thinking creates a synergistic effect. Thirdly, character education must be strengthened through cooperation between schools, families, and communities. Fourthly, policy support and improvement of the educational environment are essential.

So problematic and so tied to the media: analyzing the misinformation concern in six European countries

PurposeThis paper addresses the social issue of misinformation in six European countries by investigating how intangible factors associated with the collective evaluation of political-institutional behaviors and judgments regarding media practices and uses of online communication channels are related to citizens’ concerns about misinformation.Design/methodology/approachBased on a quantitative approach (data analysis), the study relies on data from the Eurobarometer 98.2 (2023), the official public opinion survey of European institutions. The analysis encompasses six European countries representing the pluralist-polarized (Spain, Italy and Greece) and democratic-corporatist models (Germany, Denmark and Sweden). With a multiple linear regression model, the research explores how independent variables help explain citizens' concerns regarding misinformation in each country.FindingsThe paper emphasizes three main findings: (1) for citizens in five out of six countries, the main factor associated with an increased misinformation concern is the distrust of political information on social network sites. (2) for citizens, how they evaluate the performance of traditional media relates to misinformation concerns and (3) this holds for countries categorized in pluralist-polarized and democratic-corporatist media system models.Practical implicationsMedia managers and policymakers can leverage the insights from this research to address the social concern of misinformation.Originality/valueThis article adds value to existing misinformation studies by underscoring the significance of understanding how citizens’ assessments of political-institutional behaviors, journalism practices and the political use of online communication channels interconnect with the misinformation concern in both pluralist-polarized and democratic-corporatist models.

Political identity and risk politics: Evidence from a pandemic.

The way political identity serves as a foundation for political polarization in the United States permits elites to extend conflict rapidly to new issue areas. Further, the types of cognitive mechanisms and shortcuts used in the politically polarized information environment are similar to some of those used in risk perception. Consequently, political elites may easily create partisan risk positions, largely through politically focused social amplification of risk. The COVID-19 pandemic provided a natural experiment for testing predictions about such risk politics. We asked questions about pandemic-related views, behaviors, and policies at the outset of the pandemic in April 2020 and again in September 2020 via public opinion surveys. Our data and analyses focus primarily on a single state, with some analysis extended to four states. We begin by demonstrating strong linkages between political partisan identification on the one hand and support for co-partisan elites, use of partisan information sources, and support for co-partisan policies on the other hand. We then find evidence that pandemic risk positions correspond with partisan information sources and find support for a mechanism involving partisan-tinted evaluation of elite cues. Partisan risk positions quickly became part of the larger polarized structure of political support and views. Finally, our evidence shows on the balance that partisan risk positions related to the pandemic coalesced and strengthened over time. Overall, while self-identified Democrats consistently viewed the coronavirus as the primary threat, self-identified Republicans quickly pivoted toward threats to their freedoms and to the economy.

Formation of new health care practices: what sociology [does not] see

The article was prepared for the 50th anniversary of the journal “Sociological Studies”. An array of articles (N = 29) on the topic of health care norms and practices published in the journal from 2010 to 2023 was analyzed. To validate the research presented in the publication and the results of qualitative content analysis, data from eight public opinion surveys were analyzed by the ZIRCON research group and the Higher School of Economics, conducted as part of various projects in 2010– 2023, including those with authors participation (five of them represent the population of the Russian Federation, three relate to individual regions and cities of Russia). Along with the identified thematic gaps in the field of modern sociology of health, it has been ascertained that the studies complement each other and make it possible to build a logic for the presentation of the health care topics covering all its main links.

Urban governance and solid household waste management in Togo: Case of the town of Vogan in Togo (West Africa)

The regular growth of the population and the change in consumption patterns lead to significant production of urban waste, the management of which is becoming an environmental concern. The rapid population growth and changing consumption patterns have led to significant urban waste production, making waste management a pressing environmental concern. This study aims to improve solid household waste management in Vogan through a diagnostic analysis. Conducted from June to August 2022, the cross-sectional study surveyed household knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to waste management. Data were collected through an opinion survey of 350 households across 20 districts, using semi-structured questionnaires, interviews, and field observations. Additionally, heavy metal content in waste samples was analyzed in the laboratory. Results showed that 85.43% of households had trash cans, yet 62.26% disposed of their waste in illegal dumpsites due to a lack of pre-collection services. Furthermore, 10.57% used waste as backfill in streets. Knowledge about waste management was moderate, with 62.29% having heard of it, and 70% of these respondents recognizing the importance of subscribing to a pre-collection service. Laboratory analyses revealed contamination of a landfill with cadmium, lead, and copper, along with widespread zinc pollution across all selected sites. Raising awareness and installing proper waste management infrastructure are critical to improving public health and enhancing the town's environmental quality.

The triangular relationship in platform gig work: Consumers, platform beneficence and worker vulnerability

AbstractPlatform gig work is created and contested in dynamic, triangular relationships between platforms, workers, and consumers. Compared with the first two groups, however, evidence about the role of the third—consumers—is sparse. In this paper, we investigate consumers' changing perceptions of work in the platform gig economy and argue that their perspective warrants greater attention in sociological analyses. Using data from two Australian public opinion surveys conducted 5 years apart (2017 and 2022), we explore how consumers' views of platform gig work evolved during a period of rapid change that includes the first 2 years of the COVID‐19 pandemic. We find that while overall platform use increased markedly, many consumers felt conflicted about gig workers' conditions and key features of platforms' typical labour practices. There is a pronounced, enduring, and consequential tension in consumers' views of the merits and drawbacks of this work; between, on the one hand, an acceptance that platforms do benefit workers to some extent and, on the other hand, misgivings about workers' vulnerability to harm. In centring consumers, our paper empirically enriches current triangular conceptions of labour relations in the platform gig economy, by showing how consumers mediate the interests of platforms and workers, to shape how gig work manifests and who benefits from it. We also contribute useful new practical knowledge, by elucidating the prevailing concerns of consumers that could be developed into resonant themes for campaigns aimed at improving platform gig workers' rights.

Clinical management of stopping or continuing perioperative angiotensin II converting enzyme inhibitors and/or angiotensin receptor blockers: a survey of clinical opinion

Clinical management of stopping or continuing perioperative angiotensin II converting enzyme inhibitors and/or angiotensin receptor blockers: a survey of clinical opinion

Identifying the Housing Bubble Predictors in Asian Emerging Economy: Exploring a Novel Model Based on Opinions

This study seeks to identify core housing bubble predictors and empirically investigate a novel model for detecting housing bubbles in Malaysia. We engender new insights based on the extraction of real-time opinions of market players about housing bubble formation and collapse. We employ a practical approach using a comprehensive survey of opinions from relevant walks of life via the survey data analysis software, SmartPLS3. Results indicate that housing demand, economic growth outlook, and buyers’ expectations positively impact the housing bubble. This study’s present housing market condition, foreign investment, and government policies are otherwise insignificant. We found that the present housing condition, government policies, and economic growth outlook do not influence the impact of housing demand, buyers’ expectations, and foreign investment on the housing bubble. We employed a cross-sectional research design in this study to obtain our findings. This might have indirectly suppressed more robust findings, which may have been otherwise obtained in the case of a longitudinal study. We advocate that policymakers should not overlook the significant roles of housing demand, economic growth outlook, and buyers’ expectations of the housing bubble. We show that the present housing market condition has no significant moderating effect on the impact of buyers’ expectations, foreign investment, and housing demand on housing bubbles.

Use of ambient AI scribing: Impact on physician administrative burden and patient care.

418 Background: Medical documentation is necessary to describe encounters for clinical and billing purposes. The increasing time required for medical documentation is contributing to provider stress and burnout. Physicians divide their time and attention between patients and the electronic health record (EHR), negatively impacting the patient physician relationship. Methods: 49 physicians from Texas Oncology participated in a pilot from November 2023 to April 2024 using Deep Scribe (DS) ambient artificial intelligence (AI) technology to document patient clinic visits. Subspecialties of medical oncology, radiation oncology, urology, and breast surgery completed opinion surveys pre and post pilot. Provider adoption, weekly usage, satisfaction scores were measured. Evaluation and management (E&M) diagnosis codes for office visits conducted pre-pilot were reviewed for over 27,000 patient encounters and compared to over 4,500 DS patient encounters. Hierarchical condition category (HCC) codes captured via DS AI were compared to manual capture of billing codes in the pre-pilot period. Results: 77% of providers adopted DS AI technology during the pilot. Median turnaround time for notes was less than 3 minutes. Average satisfaction score was 81%. 91% of providers stated DS was easy to use. 60% of providers believed DS improved the quality of documentation. Providers reported on average 1.5 hours per provider time saved per week. The average number of billed diagnosis codes for non- DS patients was 3 per patient. For the DS patients, the average billed diagnosis per patient was 4.1. Diagnosis codes were categorized as cancer, and other non-cancer HCCs using the CMS-HCC model category version 22. Of the top ten HCC categories, cancer diagnosis codes were better captured by manual coding, whereas DS captured more non-cancer HCC codes across multiple systems, most significantly in endocrine and cardiovascular systems. Conclusions: Data from this pilot study shows physicians reported DS AI improved quality of their documentation and saved physicians’ time. Billing data shows increase capture of non-cancer HCC codes. Use of AI in medical documentation can decrease physician burden and improve quality of patient care. E&M Diagnosis Codes Non-Deep Scribe Deep Scribe Patient visit count 27,236 4,584 Diagnosis code count 82,231 18,702 Average 3.0 4.1 Median 2 3 Mode 2.0 1.0

Aligning stakeholder goals: Implications for inclusive urban sustainability

The implementation of local sustainability policies is often hampered by differences between multi-level policy goals and the development priorities of local stakeholders. This study evaluates how an assessment of the differences between public, national, and international sustainable development priorities, such as the SDGs, might inform inclusive sustainability policies at the local level. Specifically, this paper aims to demonstrate the use of multi-stakeholder goal-alignment assessment through content analysis and public opinion surveys administered in three cities across Henan Province, China. The findings 1) draw from the systematic assessment of stakeholder priorities to identify three typologies of goal-alignment or misalignment that have implications for the design of initiatives that offer co-benefits and for the mediation of trade-offs in meeting sustainability goals, and 2) demonstrate an integrative approach to developing urban sustainability policies and programs using both top-down prescriptive sustainability goals and human-centered experiential priorities.

An opinion survey of Delay in Road Construction in City Area and its effects

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the causes and effects of delays in road construction across various areas in Nepal. Its objective is to identify the key factors contributing to these delays and examine how they affect different stakeholders, including the general public, businesses, and the government.Method: This research used a mixed-method approach, combining a questionnaire survey with Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to gather comprehensive data on road construction delays. Key stakeholders, particularly those impacted by road construction projects, were surveyed to collect their views on the causes of delays and the resulting consequences.Results: There is identified several major factors causing delays in road construction projects in Nepal including frequent government changes, alterations in project design, low labor productivity, inadequate planning, political interference and protection, and a shortage of resources. Conclusion: The study concludes that delays in road construction projects not only increase costs but also diminish public trust, growing public dissatisfaction. Stakeholders expressed frustration with the slow pace of construction, emphasizing its adverse effects on businesses, public health, and road safety.

Stakeholder Opinion Survey and Analysis to Establish Priorities for the Eco-Friendly Design and Operation of Healthcare Plant Production Complexes

Stakeholder Opinion Survey and Analysis to Establish Priorities for the Eco-Friendly Design and Operation of Healthcare Plant Production Complexes

Flexible compliance: utility and legitimacy in Jerusalem

ABSTRACT Disadvantaged residents in contested cities often mistrust and resist official authorities due to historical deprivation. However, their urgent needs compel them to approach municipal bodies, both formally and informally, exhibiting ‘flexible compliance’. Through interviews with Palestinians and a public opinion survey in Jerusalem, we analysed the preferences of Jewish-Israeli and Palestinian residents for public goods provision. Results indicate that Palestinian residents prefer unofficial institutions, but this varies by location. Inner-city and outer-city East Jerusalem residents prefer the municipal government, while those beyond the separation wall favour the community councils. We elucidate flexible compliance and propose municipal tools to address it.

Augmenting surveys with social media discourse on the workings of democracy from a cross-national perspective

This paper introduces an unsupervised framework that illustrates how insights gathered from opinion surveys regarding the functionality of democracy can be connected to social media messages of politicians on an international scale. By concentrating on the influence of social media messages from elected officials, the study adopts a “top-down” theoretical approach that links citizens’ attitudes towards democracy with the viewpoints about democracy expressed by politicians within social media discourses. Using a word embedding classification strategy, democracy-related themes are extracted from politicians’ messages. The research is conducted across 11 European countries, namely, Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Switzerland is also included in the study because of its direct democracy system. The 10th round of the European Social Survey serves as the basis for assessing citizens’ democratic attitudes. The study encompasses two main analytical segments. First, aggregated analyses conducted at the country level reveal the degree of alignment between prominent democracy-related themes present in politicians’ discourse and citizens’ perceived significance of these same themes. Second, individual-level connections between social media data and survey respondents are established through their preferred political party (or orientation). Variable importance analysis is subsequently applied to explore which democracy-related themes conveyed by politicians hold significance in predicting public contentment with democracy.

Attitudes toward abortion legality and abortion regulation: Insights from a nationally representative study

AbstractObjectiveNational public opinion polls and surveys use different questions from one another to assess people's abortion attitudes. We included commonly asked abortion attitude items on a single survey to examine people's attitudes toward abortion legality and abortion restriction to create profiles of people which we then compared across state groups. Concurrently assessing attitudes toward both abortion legality and restrictions is important given the changing abortion legislative climate in the United States.MethodWe administered an online survey to U.S. adults (n = 919) via Ipsos probability panel and used latent class analysis to identify classes of participants. Then, we used multinominal logistic regression to make state‐level comparisons.ResultsWe identified three classes: (1) 35.0 percent—abortion should be illegal/more restricted, (2) 35.1 percent—abortion should be legal/laws should reflect the status quo, and (3) 29.9 percent—abortion should be legal/more available. Trigger‐law states comprise the largest proportion of people who think abortion should be illegal/more restricted, whereas states without trigger laws comprise similar proportions of people from all three classes.ConclusionConcurrently measuring whether people believe abortion should be legal and the extent it should be restricted can provide a more comprehensive understanding of people's attitudes and demonstrates important state‐level nuances in attitudes.

Opinions of Patients, Families and Healthcare Professionals on Family Involvement in the Care of Patients Hospitalized in a Moroccan University Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Observational Survey.

Opinion surveys on family participation in care in non-Western countries are rare. This study aims to assess the opinions of patients, families, and healthcare professionals regarding family involvement in care to identify their preferences and the associated factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted over eight months involving 717 participants, using structured questionnaires at the Acute Assessment Unit of a university hospital in Morocco. Comparative analyses examined the association between participant characteristics and the preferences of care categories. Poisson regression was applied to determine factors associated with participant preferences. Attitudes toward family participation in care were positive, with an average score of 3.62 ± 0.43 on a 4-point Likert scale. Healthcare professionals were more favorable towards family participation, with an average of 10.6 ± 2.44 types of care, compared to 7.17 ± 1.96 for families and 5.71 ± 2.16 for patients. Participants' opinions converged on a set of simple and less technical care tasks. Factors significantly associated with patient preferences in the final adjustment model (p < 0.05) included frailty, loss of autonomy, length of stay, and regular and continuous (day and night) family presence. This study highlights the strong support of health professionals, patients, and families for family participation in care. Understanding these preferences and related factors is essential to maximize family participation and develop a model of Patient And Family Centered Care adapted to the Moroccan context.