DRI – The Voice of the Defense Bar has released a national survey of attitudes on the civil justice system produced for the defense attorneys’ association by Langer Research Associates. Among other results, the national, random-sample survey finds that Americans overwhelmingly oppose two common but controversial practices in class-action lawsuits – the automatic enrollment of plaintiffs on an opt-out basis and the use of low-value coupon settlements. Two-thirds also say individuals should be required to show actual harm by a company’s products or actions, rather than only the potential for harm, in order to join a class-action lawsuit. And just half see most class-action suits currently filed in the United States as justified.

See DRI’s news release here, and the full analysis here.

Bloomberg Television viewers were subjected to an hourlong appearance by Gary Langer today on “In the Loop” with Stephanie Ruhle, Adam Johnson and Mike McKee. The wide-ranging conversation included discussion of public opinion on topics including the popularity of Pope Francis, the weather, the JPMorgan/Bernie Madoff settlement, consumer sentiment, presidential approval and what the heck polls are good for, anyway.

Blue Shield of California Foundation today released “Health Care in California: Leveling the Playing Field,” a report by Langer Research Associates focused on practical ways to narrow the difference in healthcare experiences between low- and higher-income Californians.

While a broad gap in healthcare satisfaction exists between these groups, the study finds that it is explained chiefly by the nature of patients’ relationships with their caregivers, not by their income levels. Innovative efforts to enhance patients’ connection and continuity with their care facilities and improve patient-provider relationships thus can attenuate or even eliminate the income gap in care experiences.

The report is the latest in an ongoing series for the Foundation produced by Langer Research since 2011. See the Foundation’s news release here, and the full report here.

Gary Langer participated today in the Evidence Communication Innovation Collaborative convened by the Institute of Medicine in Washington, D.C., as part of its Roundtable on Value & Science-Driven Health Care. Langer presented research sponsored by Blue Shield of California Foundation on patient engagement, shared decision making and the role of patient-provider relationships in primary care redesign. Background here, full BSCF report here, and slides will follow.

The international development nonprofit Counterpart International today released the baseline assessment of its Bangladesh Leadership Development Program, a five-year initiative funded by USAID to enhance citizens’ engagement in democratic processes and community development.

The assessment, produced by Langer Research Associates, includes an extensive review of the relevant literature and detailed measurement of the attitudes, knowledge and capacity of recruited BLDP participants. The research will inform design of the program’s curriculum, serve as the baseline for future assessments of its impacts and help shape Counterpart’s leadership training approaches globally. Key findings include the importance of cultural context, sensitivity toward cultural norms of behavior for women and the impact of these norms on women’s perceptions of their ability to effect change.

The Bangladesh Leadership Development Program Baseline Assessment was designed, managed and analyzed by Langer Research, with field work directed by D3 Systems, Inc., of Vienna, Va., and carried out by Org-Quest Research Ltd. of Dhaka, Bangladesh. See Counterpart’s announcement and the full report here.

Blue Shield of California Foundation today released “Building Better Health Care for Low-Income Californians,” an in-depth survey produced for the Foundation by Langer Research Associates. The study examines the central role of patient-provider relationships in patient empowerment and efficacy, evaluating new approaches – including emerging caregiving models, the use of communication technology and improved interpersonal communication – in achieving these goals.

The Foundation hosted a presentation of key findings and a discussion panel at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Participants included Foundation President and CEO Peter V. Long, PhD.; Kavita Patel, MD, MS, Fellow and Managing Director of Delivery System Reform and Clinical Transformation at the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform in the Economics Studies program at the Brookings Institution; Sara Rosenbaum, JD, Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy and Founding Chair of the Department of Health Policy, George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services; Ron Yee, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, National Association of Community Health Centers; and Gary Langer of Langer Research Associates.

The survey extends a series of in-depth studies on the healthcare experiences of low-income Californians conducted for the Foundation by Langer Research Associates since 2010. Senior Analyst Julie E. Phelan was lead author of the report. See the full study, executive summary and press release here.

Our latest ABC News/Washington Post poll on the budget dispute in Washington has received wide coverage this week, by news outlets including CNN, the Los Angeles Times, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the New York Daily News, NBCNews.com and others. Daily News reporter Dan Friedman tweeted Sen. John McCain’s take on it. Gary Langer appeared on Bloomberg TV with host Eric Schatzker today to summarize the public’s view of kamikaze politics; see it here. (10/17: Gary also discussed the fallout from the government shutdown with John Hockenberry on NPR’s “The Takeaway,” here.)

Gary Langer appeared on Bloomberg TV with hosts Eric Schatzker and Stephanie Ruhle today, discussing the possible impacts of a government shutdown on consumer sentiment and political attitudes alike. See the clip here.

The Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology has published Gary Langer’s commentary on a report on nonprobability sampling produced by a task force of the American Association for Public Opinion Research. See the paper here.

The final report of the federal Commission on Long-Term Care, submitted to President Obama and the leaders of Congress this week, references Langer Research Associates’ analysis of a national survey on long-term care conducted by AP-NORC and commissioned by The SCAN Foundation, with our consultation. See our report, “Pathways to Progress in Planning for Long-Term Care,” on the Foundation’s website.

A wide range of news organizations have covered recent ABC News/Washington Post polls, which we produce for ABC News. Beyond use by ABC and the Post, we’ve seen recent pickup in The New York Times, USA Today, CNN, the New York Daily News, MSNBC (here andhere), the National Journal (here and here), the Christian Broadcasting Network, the San Francisco Examiner, the Christian Science Monitor, The Hill (here and here), the Huffington Post, the Columbus Dispatch, the Kokomo Tribune, and, overseas, the Global Times(China), the Nagaland Post (India) and Bao Gaio duc (Vietnam) – among others.