title: Modeling good research practices--overview: a report of the ISPOR-SMDM Modeling Good Research Practices Task Force-1.
abstract: Models-mathematical frameworks that facilitate estimation of the consequences of health care decisions-have become essential tools for health technology assessment. Evolution of the methods since the first ISPOR modeling task force reported in 2003 has led to a new task force, jointly convened with the Society for Medical Decision Making, and this series of seven papers presents the updated recommendations for best practices in conceptualizing models; implementing state-transition approaches, discrete event simulations, or dynamic transmission models; dealing with uncertainty; and validating and reporting models transparently. This overview introduces the work of the task force, provides all the recommendations, and discusses some quandaries that require further elucidation. The audience for these papers includes those who build models, stakeholders who utilize their results, and, indeed, anyone concerned with the use of models to support decision making.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada and United BioSource Corporation, Lexington, MA,
  USA (JJC)
authors.forename: J Jaime
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Caro
authors.affiliation: Health Economics & Health Technology Assessment, Institute of Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, UK (AHB)
authors.forename: Andrew H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Briggs
authors.affiliation: UMIT - University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, Hall i.T., and Oncotyrol Center for Personalized Cancer Medicine, Innsbruck, Austria  (US)|School of Public Health and Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA (US)
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Siebert
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN, USA (KMK)
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kuntz
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D035501:Uncertainty