Resources Repository
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ReviewPublication 2015Agent-Based Models and Microsimulation
This article reviews the principles and applications of agent-based models (ABMs). ABMs are computational models …
This article reviews the principles and applications of agent-based models (ABMs). ABMs are computational models used to simulate the actions and interactions of “agents” within a system. Usually, each agent has a set of rules for how he or she responds to the environment and to other agents. These models are used to gain insight into the emergent behavior of complex systems with many agents, in which the emergent behavior depends upon the micro-level behavior…
Dynamic Simulation | Mathematical Models | State-Transition | Microsimulation | Energy/Engineering | Health/Medicine | Military/Defense | Science/Technology -
GuidelinesPublication 2014EPA Guidelines for Preparing Economic Analyses
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Guidelines for Preparing Economic Analyses provide a framework for …
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Guidelines for Preparing Economic Analyses provide a framework for assessing the impacts of environmental regulations and policies that has been extensively peer-reviewed and is widely-applied both within and outside of the agency. The Guidelines discuss: (1) statutory and executive order requirements for conducting economic analyses; (2) identifying the need for policy action; (3) regulatory and non-regulatory approaches to pollution control; (4) baseline definition; (5) discounting future benefits and costs;…
Decision Analysis | Preferences/Values | Priority Setting/Ethics | Benefit-Cost Analysis | Environmental Health | Policy/Regulation | Climate/Environment | Government/Law | North America | Critical Thinking/Analysis -
ReviewPublication 2013Valuing the Economic Benefits of Complex Interventions
This is a review of economic evaluations of complex health interventions. Complex interventions, involving interlinked …
This is a review of economic evaluations of complex health interventions. Complex interventions, involving interlinked packages of care, challenge the application of current methods of economic evaluation that focus on measuring only health gain. The authors find that complex interventions may be problematic on two levels. First, the complexity means the intervention may not fit into one of the current appraisal systems, and/or second, maximizing health is not the only objective. This paper discusses the…
Decision Analysis | Preferences/Values | Health Systems | Policy/Regulation | Economics/Finance | Government/Law | Health/Medicine | Science/Technology | Europe -
GuidelinesPublication 2013Decision and Simulation Modeling in Systematic Reviews
The purpose of this review is to provide guidance for determining when incorporating a decision-analytic …
The purpose of this review is to provide guidance for determining when incorporating a decision-analytic model alongside a systemic review would be of added value for decision making purposes. The purpose of systematic reviews is to synthesize the current scientific literature on a particular topic in the form of evidence reports and technology assessments to assist public and private organizations in developing strategies that improve the quality of health care and decision making. However, there…
Decision Analysis | Evidence Synthesis | Mathematical Models | Infectious Diseases | Child/Nutrition | Chronic Disease/Risk | Health/Medicine | North America -
ReviewPublication 2012Applying Decision Science to Managing National Forests
This publication is an example of the application of decision science to the management of …
This publication is an example of the application of decision science to the management of federal public forests, in particular to meet sustainability goals and multiple use regulations. Through three case studies, the authors describe four stages of a decision analytic approach: problem structuring (framing the problem and defining objectives and evaluation criteria), problem analysis (defining alternatives, evaluating likely consequences, identifying key uncertainties, and analyzing tradeoffs), decision point (identifying the preferred alternative), and implementation and monitoring…
Decision Analysis | Value of Information | Risk Analysis | Social Determinants | Environmental Health | Policy/Regulation | Climate/Environment | Government/Law -
GuidelinesPublication 2012Conceptualizing a Model: A Report of the ISPOR-SMDM Modeling Task Force-2
This article provides a series of consensus-based best practices regarding the process of model conceptualization, …
This article provides a series of consensus-based best practices regarding the process of model conceptualization, specifically when models are used to inform medical decisions and health-related resource allocation. The authors divide the conceptualization process into two distinct components: the conceptualization of the problem, which converts knowledge of the health care process or decision into a representation of the problem, followed by the conceptualization of the model itself, which matches the attributes and characteristics of a…
Decision Analysis | Mathematical Models | Health/Medicine -
GuidelinesPublication 2012Dynamic Transmission Modeling: A Report of the ISPOR-SMDM Modeling Task Force-5
This paper reports the consensus-based guidelines on dynamic transmission modeling in health care. The transmissible …
This paper reports the consensus-based guidelines on dynamic transmission modeling in health care. The transmissible nature of communicable diseases is what sets them apart from other diseases modeled by health economists. The probability of a susceptible individual becoming infected at any one point in time (the force of infection) is related to the number of infectious individuals in the population, will change over time, and will feed back into the future force of infection. These…
Dynamic Simulation | Mathematical Models | Dynamic Transmission | Infectious Diseases | Health/Medicine -
GuidelinesPublication 2012Modeling Using Discrete Event Simulation: A Report of the ISPOR-SMDM Modeling Task Force-4
This paper reports on consensus-based guidelines on the application of DES in a health care …
This paper reports on consensus-based guidelines on the application of DES in a health care setting, covering the range of issues to which DES can be applied. Discrete event simulation (DES) is a form of computer-based modeling that provides an intuitive and flexible approach to representing complex systems. The article works through the different stages of the modeling process: structural development, parameter estimation, model implementation, model analysis, and representation and reporting. Recommendations are made for…
Dynamic Simulation | Evidence Synthesis | Mathematical Models | Calibration/Validation | Health/Medicine -
ReviewPublication 2011Simulation Models of Obesity: A Review of the Literature
Simulation models combine information from a variety of sources to provide a useful tool for …
Simulation models combine information from a variety of sources to provide a useful tool for examining how the effects of obesity unfold over time and impact population health. They can aid in the understanding of the complex interaction of the drivers of diet and activity and their relation to health outcomes. This paper provided an overview of different types of simulation models used to evaluate the potential impact of policies to address the obesity epidemic.…
Decision Analysis | Mathematical Models | State-Transition | Microsimulation | Calibration/Validation | Cost-Effectiveness Analysis | Child/Nutrition | Chronic Disease/Risk | Economics/Finance | Food/Agriculture | Health/Medicine