Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study examined the news framing of Nixon’s visit to China in 1972 and the Chinese President, Hu Jintao’s visit to the U.S. in 2006 in two U.S. elite newspapers: The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. We are trying to answer two questions: (1) How did American elite newspapers cover these two Head-of-state visits? (2) How did the image of China in American newspapers change historically from 1972 to 2006? Through a qualitative framing analysis, this study found that the dominant ideology in American society functioned as the main source of framing in the coverage of the Presidents’ visits. Both of the two newspapers’ coverage reflected the ideology of anti-communism in the 1970s and China’s threat as a superpower in late 1990s. However, the analysis also demonstrated that the contingent ideology and journalistic ideology in the newsroom also played an essential part in news judgment.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Hundreds of studies have documented disparities in medical treatment in the US. These findings have generated research and initiatives intended to understand and ameliorate such disparities. Most approaches implicitly assume that disadvantaged patients’ beliefs and attitudes toward health care are at odds with the health care system, failing consider whether patients use particular strategies to overcome providers’ potentially negative perceptions of them and/or obtain quality medical care. In this paper, we examine positive self-presentation as a strategy that may be used by disadvantaged groups to improve their medical treatment. Analysis of survey data suggests that both African Americans and lower socioeconomic status persons are more likely than whites or higher socioeconomic status persons to report that positive self-presentation is important for their getting the best medical care. Based on these findings, we suggest several routes for future research that will advance our understanding of patients’ everyday strategies for getting the best health care.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Objective. The purpose of this study was to investigate supplier-induced demand for return visits to emergency departments (ED).
Methods. Data from 36,166 ED visits in the 1992 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were examined using multiple logistic regression.
Results. ED return visits were estimated to have occurred over six million times (6.7% of the national probability sample) and were less common among those with private coverage than those with no insurance coverage (OR=0.82, 95% CI=0.74, 0.91). Return visits were more likely than initial visits to be for non-urgent care (OR=2.77, CI=2.50, 3.04), and more likely to receive an ED return appointment (OR=2.98, CI=2.60, 3.40) or return recommendation (OR=1.37, CI=1.24, 1.51). The likelihood of an ED appointment or return recommendation was much higher when there was no alternative care referral for patients being discharged from the ED.
Conclusions. Return ED visits are more likely among patients without insurance and more likely to be for non-urgent care. ED personnel often take actions to induce return visits. These practices may reflect attempts by providers to enhance revenue and/or continuity of care.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: In Sweden the law concerning children is universal and can be thought of as status conferring1. In other words, the law regarding children, in Sweden confers a particular status to children, that is it confers the status of person. In Sweden, it is conceived as being the child’s right to stability, love, freedom from fear, emotional harm and physical abuse (including neglect and medical neglect). In the US these same factors,(meaning abuse, neglect, etc.) are a matter of action sorting. Child protection laws sort actions into what is acceptable and what is unacceptable behaviour towards a child. The child himself derives less status from the laws and so his opportunity to be “heard” or “listened to” are more variable from state to state.
Differences arise, between societies based upon these conceptions of right-- from the “right to be heard”, as in Sweden)--and a legal guarantee that if a child's opinion is expressed it can be weighted along with the other evidence,as in US.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This paper discusses what type of message cues a mass media print advertisement should include if it aims to motivate college students to visit an educational website about alcohol. After elicitation of beliefs associated with student drinking, three advertisements were designed which included attention-getting and likeable message cues, a message tailored to the most important determinant of drinking, or both. Each contained a different URL. They were sent to 639 Dutch college students, who participated in a survey one week later. Measures were alcohol use, intention to drink moderately, recall and recognition of the advertisement, talking with others about the advertisement, attention to the advertisement, attitude towards the advertisement and the website, attitude and intention towards visiting the website, and actual visits to the website. Results indicate that including both attention-getting and likeable message cues and a message tailored to the most important determinant increases the advertisement’s effectiveness in motivating people to visit the campaign website.