The problem of non-response in population surveys on the topic of HIV and sexuality: a comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Throughout the Western world, response rates are falling in population surveys. The aim of the study was to explore for the presence of non-response bias in two Swedish research projects on HIV ['HIV in Sweden' (HIS11)] and sexuality ['Sex and health' (UngKAB09)]. METHODS: The study used four data sets (two from each project), each of which had been generated using different methods. By comparing means and percentages on 15 items across the data sets, we explore the potential presence of non-response bias due to interest in the survey topic (topic salience), and discuss the suitability of two increasingly common methods for recruiting respondents: the pre-recruited probability web panel and the self-selected web survey. RESULTS: While a higher proportion of the respondents in the HIS11 substudies had been tested for HIV and were inclined to perceive themselves as being at high risk of HIV infection, the respondents in the UngKAB09 substudies were on average more sexually active. Further, while there was little variation in the results between the HIS11 substudies (postal/web survey and pre-recruited web panel), there were some fairly large differences in the results between the UngKAB09 substudies (web surveys, one of which was based on a self-selected sample). CONCLUSION: The study concludes that (i) there are signs of non-response bias that may be due to topic salience, (ii) while care must be taken when using self-selection sampling methods, the pre-recruited probability web panel might provide a cost- and time-effective alternative for recruiting respondents in future population surveys.

The constitution of the alcoholic self, communicative processes and administrative practices: On the varied uses of four terms denoting problematic drinking.

Aims: The aims of this article were to examine the various meanings ascribed by three stakeholder groups - social workers, journalists and individuals with previous experience of problematic drinking - to four widely used terms in the alcohol field - alcoholism, alcohol dependence, alcohol misuse and risky drinking - and to examine how variations in the definitions of these terms correspond to specific pragmatic needs arising within different practices. Design: We conducted focus-group interviews with 15 individuals from the above-mentioned stakeholder groups. We identified three practices, we identified three practices which shaped the meanings ascribed to the four terms denoting problematic drinking. Results: The results showed that the meanings ascribed to the four terms were both fixed and fluid. For the individuals with previous experience of problematic drinking, the four terms had fixed meanings, and their definition of the term "alcoholism" as denoting a disease, for example, was vital to the practice through which they sought to come to an understanding of themselves ("practice of self"). The social workers and the journalists on the other hand saw the four terms as being context dependent - as fluid and imprecise. This allowed them to establish trustful communicative relationships with informants and clients ("practice of trustful communication"), and to control the communicative process and successfully navigate between different administrative systems ("practice of administration"). Conclusions: Since the meanings ascribed to the examined terms denoting problematic drinking are shaped within varying practices, confusion regarding the actual meaning of a given term could be avoided by referring to the practical context in which it is used.

Law and medical practice: A comparative vignette survey of cardiologists in Norway and Denmark.

OBJECTIVE: This article explores the implications of legal regulation for medical discretion and decision-making in Norway and Denmark. METHODS: The article is based on a cross-national cross-sectional survey exploring cardiologists' assessments of patient eligibility for specialist health care. Forty-two cardiologists in Norway and 48 in Denmark were presented with two standardized case vignettes in the form of patient referrals and were asked to assess whether the patient was eligible for treatment by a specialist, and if so, what waiting time would be assigned to the patient. RESULTS: Primarily based on descriptive statistics, our findings indicate interesting similarities and variations. While there was only minor variation across the countries in cardiologists' professional assessments about a patient with a more severe condition, judgements of eligibility for specialist treatment varied for a patient with a less severe medical condition. Moreover, Danish cardiologists distinguished between the more severe and less severe conditions to a much lesser extent when assessing eligibility for specialist treatment. For waiting times, there was considerable variation at the general level, from 1 week to 6 months. The assigned waiting times were on average double those for Norwegian cardiologists compared with their Danish counterparts. Denmark's legal standardization of waiting times appears to lead to shorter waiting times than those prescribed by Norway's legal regulations. CONCLUSION: For a single clear overall intention with a new policy, simpler legal regulations may be more effective than very detailed and specific requirements. If policymakers' overall intention is for medical doctors to make complex decisions involving the prioritization of patients, then more individualized regulations seem to be a better tool.