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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Jay V. Schindler, MPH PhD, Public Health Division, Northrop Grumman Corporation, 3375 NE Expressway, Koger Center/Harvard Building, Atlanta, GA 30341, 6785303626, jvs4@cdc.gov and Barbara L. Massoudi, MPH, PhD, CDC Programs, Northrop Grumman Corporation, 3375 Northeast Expressway, Atlanta, GA 30341.

The use of agent-based modeling has become an important tool in supporting decision-making processes, looking for emergent behavior in complex systems, and identifying the critical economic, socio-behavioral, and environmental factors or variables in models or simulations of public health importance. Still in its infancy, agent-based modeling is being used in various public health domains to better explain, interpret, and use data in the development of relevant practice and policy. This poster session highlights the categories of application that agent-based modeling has emerged from and its current applications in public health informatics. This poster session compares and contrasts agent-based modeling and its typical findings with deterministic and statistical modeling; examines informatics-relevant applications in epidemiology, disease prevention, and public health policy formation; and overviews the tools and resources for those interested in the domain. An example of taking a public health problem from initial formation through model development, analysis using agent-based modeling, and final results and conclusions is highlighted.

Learning Objectives: By completion of reviewing the poster and talking to the author, a participant will be able to

• Explain the conceptual foundations of agent-based modeling, and how it is different from deterministic and statistical modeling
• Provide examples of how agent-based modeling can be useful within informatics applications in epidemiology, public health policy formation, and disease prevention practices.
• Describe the process of taking an informatics-relevant problem and applying agent-based modeling concepts and principles to explore potential solutions.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered