Mainstreaming modeling and simulation to accelerate public health innovation

P.P. Maglio, M.-J. Sepulveda and P.L. Mabry

American Journal of Public Health, 2014, vol. 104, issue 7, 1181-1186

Abstract: Dynamic modeling and simulation are systems science tools that examine behaviors and outcomes resulting from interactions among multiple system components over time. Although there are excellent examples of their application, they have not been adopted as mainstream tools in population health planning and policymaking. Impediments to their use include the legacy and ease of use of statistical approaches that produce estimates with confidence intervals, the difficulty of multidisciplinary collaboration for modeling and simulation, systems scientists' inability to communicate effectively the added value of the tools, and low funding for population health systems science. Proposed remedies include aggregation of diverse data sets, systems science training for public health and other health professionals, changing research incentives toward collaboration, and increased funding for population health systems science projects.

Keywords: article; computer simulation; cooperation; health behavior; health care planning; human; interpersonal communication; management; methodology; obesity; public health; systems theory; theoretical model, Communication; Computer Simulation; Cooperative Behavior; Health Behavior; Health Planning; Humans; Models, Theoretical; Obesity; Policy Making; Public Health; Research Design; Systems Theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2014.301873_5

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.301873

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