What is the Archimedes Model?
The Archimedes Model is a full-scale simulation model of human physiology, diseases, behaviors, interventions, and healthcare systems. By using advanced methods of mathematics, computing, and data systems, the Model enables managers, administrators, and policymakers to be better informed and to make smarter decisions than has previously been possible.
The core of the Model is hundreds of equations that represent human physiology and the effects of diseases. Attached to these are hundreds more equations and algorithms that realistically simulate the healthcare system including processes such as tests, treatments, admissions and physician behaviors. Together with population data, the equations are integrated into a single, large-scale simulation model that accurately represents what happens to real people in real healthcare systems.
Click image/here to enlarge
How does the Model differ from other models?
The Archimedes Model is distinguished from other models by its unmatched functionality and accuracy. The Model's unique characteristics are demonstrated by the following:
Physiology-Based
The core of the Archimedes Model is a set of ordinary and differential equations that represent physiological pathways and the effects of diseases, tests, and treatments. It is built from the same information learned by physicians in their medical training, but with the additional strengths that:
- The pathways are represented quantitatively not just qualitatively
- By using mathematics and computers the Model can accurately process vastly greater amounts of information than the human mind.
Clinically Realistic
The Archimedes Model was built to represent physiological, clinical, and administrative events as they occur in reality. In this way it is very different from statistical models, such as predictive models and calculators based on regression equations, and from state transition models such as Markov models. Whereas statistical models describe associations between small numbers of variables, the Archimedes Model describes the underlying causal relationships of systems of physiological variables. And whereas state-transition models assume that diseases can be adequately described as transitions between a small number of discrete "states" at discrete time intervals (e.g. "no diabetes", "uncomplicated diabetes", "diabetes with CVD"), the Archimedes Model represents the physiological variables that actually underlie the diseases (e.g. insulin resistance, hepatic glucose production, glucose uptake by fat and muscle, plasma glucose, etc..). It retains the continuous nature, interactions, and progression of biological variables, and therefore can more accurately describe the complexity of diseases. Because the Model "thinks" in the same way real clinicians think, it is able to address clinical questions in a realistic way.
Diseases
The Archimedes Model is a single integrated model that contains pathways relating to multiple diseases. Currently the Model includes:
- Diabetes and complications
- Coronary artery disease
- Hypertension
- Congestive heart failure
- Stroke
- Dyslipidemia
- Obesity
- Metabolic syndrome
- Asthma
- Colon cancer
- Breast cancer
- Lung cancer
Other conditions are continuously being added.
The incorporation of all these conditions into a single integrated model enables the Model to address co-morbidities, syndromes that affect multiple organ systems, the use of multiple drugs, interactions between drugs, and drugs that have multiple effects. Use of a single integrated model also enables the Model to make comparisons and set priorities across a broad spectrum of interventions that affect different diseases, organ systems, and outcomes, using a consistent methodology.
Interventions
The Archimedes Model can be used to analyze a wide spectrum of interventions, including prevention programs, screening tests, diagnostic tests, treatments, care processes and protocols, patient behaviors and compliance, provider behaviors and performance, variations in practice patterns, financial incentives, guidelines, and information systems. It can include errors and variations in the interpretation of tests, choices of treatment, applications of guidelines, and adherence to treatment recommendations.
Outcomes
The Model can calculate the effects of interventions on biological outcomes, health outcomes, utilization, quality of life, and financial costs.
Behaviors
The Archimedes Model includes the occurrence of signs and symptoms, patient behaviors in seeking care, provider behaviors in following protocols and guidelines. It can be used to study variations in practice patterns, and patient behaviors in adhering to treatment recommendations.
Delivery Systems
The Model includes detailed protocols and guidelines used by physicians and other healthcare providers to manage patients. It tracks utilization and logistics at virtually the same level of detail as in real healthcare systems. It includes CPT, DRG, and other classifications systems for tracking diagnoses, procedures, utilization, and costs.
Populations
The Model can create simulated populations that match real populations at a high level of detail. If person-specific data are available, as from a clinical information system or health risk appraisal, the Model can create copies of real people one by one, matching specific individuals on more than 40 clinically relevant variables. If person-specific data are not available, the Model can use aggregated data such as distributions of age, sex, race/ethnicity, biomarkers, and treatments to create simulated populations that match real populations on the designated variables.
Customization
The Model can be customized to specific populations, described either at the person-specific or aggregate level. Depending on the available data it can be customized to match specific delivery systems, including the use of protocols, performance levels, compliance levels, practice patterns, utilization, and costs.
Validation
The Model is validated by comparing its results to outcomes seen in real populations. Clinical trials are used as the gold standard to test whether the results of the trial are consistent with the predicted results from the Archimedes Model. To date, the Model has been validated against more than 50 clinical trials. Validations are continuously performed, with more than a dozen new clinical trials being simulated each year. » More
Schedule an in-depth discussion with Archimedes »