At the Interface of Epidemiology and Health Decision Science: Jointly Shaping Cancer Screening Strategies
Join us on Wednesday, October 15th for the Epidemiology Seminar Series, featuring Dr. Uwe Siebert discussing “At the Interface of Epidemiology and Health Decision Science: Jointly Shaping Cancer Screening Strategies“.
Abstract: Epidemiologic analyses provide essential evidence for decision-analytic models guiding cancer screening policy. This presentation highlights how such data are generated, transformed, and linked to inform clinical guidelines, health technology assessments, and citizen information, with case examples from colorectal cancer screening in the U.S. and Europe. Decision-analytic models rely on epidemiologic inputs –-such as disease prevalence, test performance, prognosis, and treatment effectiveness – to compare strategies that differ in age limits, intervals, test modalities, and risk-based algorithms. These models quantify trade-offs between benefits (reduced morbidity/mortality) and harms (false positives, complications, overdiagnosis). To ensure reliable guidance, cross-disciplinary understanding is critical: epidemiologists must recognize how their estimates influence model outputs, while decision scientists must understand the assumptions, limitations, and causal interpretations of those estimates. By fostering collaboration across biostatistics, epidemiology, global health and decision science, we can strengthen the evidence base for cancer screening and ensure strategies appropriately balance benefits and harms.
Bio: Uwe Siebert, MPH, MSc, ScD, is a physician by training and Professor of Public Health, Medical Decision Making and Health Technology Assessment (HTA), Chair of the Department of Public Health, Health Services Research and HTA at UMIT TIROL – University for Health Sciences and Technology in Austria, and Director of the International Continuing Education Program in HTA and Decision Science (htads.org). He is also Adjunct Professor of Epidemiology and Health Policy & Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Uwe is the current President- of ISPOR – The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research and former President of the Society for Medical Decision Making (SMDM).
His research interests include applying evidence-based quantitative and translational methods in the framework of health care policy advice and HTA as well as in the clinical context of routine health care, public health policies and patient guidance. He has worked with several HTA Agencies in Europe, Brazil, US and Canada and he advises public and government agencies, academic institutions and industry regarding the conduction of HTAs and their impact on policy and reimbursement decisions. He has authored more than 500 publications and is an Editor of the European Journal of Epidemiology and editorial board member of several scientific journals.
Speaker Information
Uwe Siebert, MD, MPH, MSc, ScD
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