Accounting For Temporal Changes In Health Practices When Calibrating Models

The introduction and subsequent widespread use of the Papanicolaou (Pap) test has considerably reduced rates of cervical cancer in the last 50 years. The study entitled, "Calibrating Longitudinal Models to Cross-Sectional Data: The Effect of Temporal Changes in Health Practices," published in Value in Health, and performed by Douglas Taylor and colleagues, found that a considerable bias was introduced in the results of a cervical disease model when historical changes in cervical screening practices were not considered in the calibration process.


According to study author Dr. Milton Weinstein, "This study demonstrates that it is important for calibrated health care models to take into account temporal changes in clinical practices in order to more accurately reflect the effects of new interventions."


Source:

ISPOR