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Westminster University

MASHnet Pre-launch Workshop: 3 Dec 2004, Westminster University

Short account of a workshop held to promote MASHnet in advance of its inception in Jan 2005.

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

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