title: The quality of three decision-analytic diabetes models: a systematic health economic assessment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Diabetes mellitus has important economic impacts worldwide. Interventions to prevent diabetes-related complications are often analyzed using model-based cost-effectiveness analyses. As model results are usually influenced by structural assumptions and by the data used, decision-makers should be able to assess the quality of diabetes models. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of selected diabetes models and to determine if modeling recommendations by the American Diabetes Association are considered.
  
  
  METHODS
  The quality of three selected diabetes models (Archimedes Model, CDC Model and Center for Outcomes Research [CORE] Diabetes Model) was assessed using systematic methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This systematic approach to assess model quality proved to be feasible and highlighted two areas for improvement: the rationale for model structure and methods to identify parameter values, which should be presented more transparently.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, the need for a quality assessment of diabetes models is emphasized.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health Economics and Health Care Management, Munich School of Management, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany. christian.becker@helmholtz-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Langer
authors.forename: Reiner
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leidl
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008390:Markov Chains; D018803:Models, Economic; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome