Assessing the quality of evidence from epidemiological agent-based models for the COVID-19 pandemic

0542344 - FLÚ 2022 RIV CH eng J - Journal Article
Maziarz, M. - Zach, Martin
Assessing the quality of evidence from epidemiological agent-based models for the COVID-19 pandemic.
History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences. Roč. 43, č. 1 (2021), č. článku 10. ISSN 0391-9714. E-ISSN 1742-6316
Institutional support: RVO:67985955
Keywords : SARS-CoV-2 * EBM * Agent-based models
OECD category: Philosophy, History and Philosophy of science and technology
Impact factor: 1.452, year: 2021
Method of publishing: Open access
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40656-020-00357-4

Agent-based models (ABMs) are one of the main sources of evidence for decisions regarding mitigation and suppression measures against the spread of SARS-CoV-2. These models have not been previously included in the hierarchy of evidence put forth by the evidence-based medicine movement, which prioritizes those research methods that deliver results less susceptible to the risk of confounding. We point out the need to assess the quality of evidence delivered by ABMs and ask the question of what is the risk that assumptions entertained in ABMs do not include all the key factors and make model predictions susceptible to the problem of confounding.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0319774