Held at Westminster University, London. Attendance: 20 people drawn from academic, research, health service and industrial backgrounds.

The Coming of MASHnet – A New Network for Modelling and Simulation in Healthcare

Presentation by M.Pitt: The presentation outlined the aims, objectives and potentials of the recently funded MASHnet Project. Spcifically its aim to bring together the three communities of health services, academic research and industry to establish a common framework of communication both within and between these domains in order to promote more successful research and implementation. Key areas of communication were highlighted as central to the successful future development of modelling and simulation in healthcare within this context.

The presentation was followed by a small group exercise to complete a small grid outlining the perceived benefits that MASHnet could provide to the three identified Core Communities. The outputs from these group exercises is shown below. An extended discussion session followed in which participants were encouraged to share their views about the role

Output from Group Exercises (defining three key benefits of MASHnet to the different stakeholders)

Group A.

	Health Services	Academics	Industry
1	Better health delivery through use of effective models	Brand name for healthcare modelling activities	Avenue to key decision makers in healthcare etc
2	Hit targets more often	Speed and efficient research through shared resources	Concentrated software feedback – feed into development cycle
3		Non-duplication of work though increased communication	Altruistic goals demonstrated leading to good PR.

Group B.

	Health Services	Academics	Industry
1	Contact with modellers and free work	Awareness of practical issues in healthcare – policy changes and needs	Modelling in plain English – increased accessibility
2	Potential for savings	Better Research – through contact with others and access to resources.	Customers
3		Problem led rather that tool led project work

Group C.

	Health Services	Academics	Industry
1	Good Practice	Raising Profile	Mashnet research
2	Modernisation	Better Research	Academic credibility
3	Better Research	Branding – higher profile

Group D.

	Health Services	Academics	Industry
1	Simple solutions to current problems	Fun	Money
2	Help in change managment	Access to real world problems	Money
3	Information management through better tools for interpretation of data etc.	Personal gain through increased publications and grants etc.	Money