scholarly journals High-Fidelity Agent-Based Modeling to Support Prevention Decision-Making: an Open Science Approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wouter H. Vermeer ◽  
Justin D. Smith ◽  
Uri Wilensky ◽  
C. Hendricks Brown
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Model Verification ◽  
High Fidelity ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Adverse Health Outcomes ◽  
Modeling Process ◽  
Novel Method

AbstractPreventing adverse health outcomes is complex due to the multi-level contexts and social systems in which these phenomena occur. To capture both the systemic effects, local determinants, and individual-level risks and protective factors simultaneously, the prevention field has called for adoption of system science methods in general and agent-based models (ABMs) specifically. While these models can provide unique and timely insight into the potential of prevention strategies, an ABM’s ability to do so depends strongly on its accuracy in capturing the phenomenon. Furthermore, for ABMs to be useful, they need to be accepted by and available to decision-makers and other stakeholders. These two attributes of accuracy and acceptability are key components of open science. To ensure the creation of high-fidelity models and reliability in their outcomes and consequent model-based decision-making, we present a set of recommendations for adopting and using this novel method. We recommend ways to include stakeholders throughout the modeling process, as well as ways to conduct model verification, validation, and replication. Examples from HIV and overdose prevention work illustrate how these recommendations can be applied.

ANALYZING THE AGENT-BASED MODEL AND ITS IMPLICATIONS

2003 ◽  
Vol 06 (03) ◽  
pp. 331-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
YUTAKA I. LEON SUEMATSU ◽  
KEIKI TAKADAMA ◽  
NORBERTO E. NAWA ◽  
KATSUNORI SHIMOHARA ◽  
OSAMU KATAI
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Internal Structure ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Agent Based Model ◽  
Social Phenomena ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Individual

Agent-based models (ABMs) have been attracting the attention of researchers in the social sciences, becoming a prominent paradigm in the study of complex social systems. Although a great number of models have been proposed for studying a variety of social phenomena, no general agent design methodology is available. Moreover, it is difficult to validate the accuracy of these models. For this reason, we believe that some guidelines for ABMs design must be devised; therefore, this paper is a first attempt to analyze the levels of ABMs, identify and classify several aspects that should be considered when designing ABMs. Through our analysis, the following implications have been found: (1) there are two levels in designing ABMs: the individual level, related to the design of the agents' internal structure, and the collective level, which concerns the design of the agent society or macro-dynamics of the model; and (2) the mechanisms of these levels strongly affect the outcomes of the models.

scholarly journals Intra-group decision-making in agent-based models

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Allegra A. Beal Cohen ◽  
Rachata Muneepeerakul ◽  
Gregory Kiker
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Functional Groups ◽  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Group Decision Making ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Group Decision ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Agent Based Models ◽  
Agent Based

AbstractMany agent-based models (ABMs) try to explain large-scale phenomena by reducing them to behaviors at lower scales. At these scales in social systems are functional groups such as households, religious congregations, coops and local governments. The intra-group dynamics of functional groups often generate inefficient or unexpected behavior that cannot be predicted by modeling groups as basic units. We introduce a framework for modeling intra-group decision-making and its interaction with social norms, using the household as our focus. We select phenomena related to women’s empowerment in agriculture as examples influenced by both intra-household dynamics and gender norms. Our framework proves more capable of replicating these phenomena than two common types of ABMs. We conclude that it is not enough to build multi-scale models; explaining social behaviors entails modeling intra-scale dynamics.

scholarly journals The Boundaries of Cognition and Decision Making

2021 ◽  
pp. 93-112
Author(s):  
Toby Prike ◽  
Philip A. Higham ◽  
Jakub Bijak
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Experimental Methodology ◽  
Agent Based Models ◽  
New Developments ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Extended Discussion ◽  
Psychological Experiments

AbstractThis chapter outlines the role that individual-level empirical evidence gathered from psychological experiments and surveys can play in informing agent-based models, and the model-based approach more broadly. To begin with, we provide an overview of the way that this empirical evidence can be used to inform agent-based models. Additionally, we provide three detailed exemplars that outline the development and implementation of experiments conducted to inform an agent-based model of asylum migration, as well as how such data can be used. There is also an extended discussion of important considerations and potential limitations when conducting laboratory or online experiments and surveys, followed by a brief introduction to exciting new developments in experimental methodology, such as gamification and virtual reality, that have the potential to address some of these limitations and open the door to promising and potentially very fruitful new avenues of research.

Impact of a Novel Method of Ethics Education on Nurse Leaders’ Capacity for Moral Decision-Making:

Nurse Leader ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooklyn Aaron ◽  
Avery Glover ◽  
Evelina Sterling ◽  
Stuart Downs ◽  
Jason Lesandrini
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ethics Education ◽  
Nurse Leaders ◽  
Moral Decision ◽  
Moral Decision Making ◽  
Novel Method

scholarly journals Age is just a number: Is frailty being ignored in vascular access planning for dialysis?

2021 ◽  
pp. 112972982198990
Author(s):  
Kulli Kuningas ◽  
Nicholas Inston
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Kidney Disease ◽  
Vascular Access ◽  
Clinical Condition ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Dialysis Access ◽  
Adverse Health Outcomes ◽  
Risk Of Mortality ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
First Choice

Current international guidelines advocate fistula creation as first choice for vascular access in haemodialysis patients, however, there have been suggestions that in certain groups of patients, in particular the elderly, a more tailored approach is needed. The prevalence of more senior individuals receiving renal replacement therapy has increased in recent years and therefore including patient age in decision making regarding choice of vascular access for dialysis has gained more relevance. However, it seems that age is being used as a surrogate for overall clinical condition and it can be proposed that frailty may be a better basis to considering when advising and counselling patients with regard to vascular access for dialysis. Frailty is a clinical condition in which the person is in a vulnerable state with reduced functional capacity and has a higher risk of adverse health outcomes when exposed to stress inducing events. Prevalence of frailty increases with age and has been associated with an increased risk of mortality, hospitalisation, disability and falls. Chronic kidney disease is associated with premature ageing and therefore patients with kidney disease are prone to be frailer irrespective of age and the risk increases further with declining kidney function. Limited data exists on the relationship between frailty and vascular access, but it appears that frailty may have an association with poorer outcomes from vascular access. However, further research is warranted. Due to complexity in decision making in dialysis access, frailty assessment could be a key element in providing patient-centred approach in planning and maintaining vascular access for dialysis.

scholarly journals The use of multiple-criteria decision-making theory to measure students’ perceptions of high-fidelity simulation

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 88-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen Anne Jersby ◽  
Paul Van-Schaik ◽  
Stephen Green ◽  
Lili Nacheva-Skopalik
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Clinical Decision Making ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
High Fidelity ◽  
High Fidelity Simulation ◽  
Initial Exposure ◽  
Repeated Measures Design

BackgroundHigh-Fidelity Simulation (HFS) has great potential to improve decision-making in clinical practice. Previous studies have found HFS promotes self-confidence, but its effectiveness in clinical practice has not been established. The aim of this research is to establish if HFS facilitates learning that informs decision-making skills in clinical practice using MultipleCriteria DecisionMaking Theory (MCDMT).MethodsThe sample was 2nd year undergraduate pre-registration adult nursing students.MCDMT was used to measure the students’ experience of HFS and how it developed their clinical decision-making skills. MCDMT requires characteristic measurements which for the learning experience were based on five factors that underpin successful learning, and for clinical decision-making, an analytical framework was used. The study used a repeated-measures design to take two measurements: the first one after the first simulation experience and the second one after clinical placement. Baseline measurements were obtained from academics. Data were analysed using the MCDMT tool.ResultsAfter their initial exposure to simulation learning, students reported that HFS provides a high-quality learning experience (87%) and supports all aspects of clinical decision-making (85%). Following clinical practice, the level of support for clinical decision-making remained at 85%, suggesting that students believe HFS promotes transferability of knowledge to the practice setting.ConclusionOverall, students report a high level of support for learning and developing clinical decision-making skills from HFS. However, there are no comparative data available from classroom teaching of similar content so it cannot be established if these results are due to HFS alone.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document