The Decision Sciences for Child Health Collaborative (DSCCo)

The Decision Sciences for Child Health Collaborative (DSCCo) was originally founded as the Society for Medical Decision Making’s Pediatric Interest Group. Our mission is to support the use of decision sciences methods for child health research by (1) fostering collaborations between clinicians, researchers, practitioners, patients, and caregivers, (2) educating pediatric researchers about decision sciences methods, (3) highlighting excellent pediatric decision sciences research, and (4) identifying areas where decision science can improve pediatric research, practice, and policy. DSCCo is co-chaired by Jody Lin, MD, MS and Davene R. Wright, PhD.

DSCCo meets in-person twice annually at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting in the Spring and at the Society for Medical Decision Making North American Annual Meeting in October. At these in-person meetings, we endeavor to offer short courses, symposia, and networking events. In between in-person meetings, we endeavor to host journal clubs and seminars, and to draft collaborative manuscripts. We publicize pediatric decision sciences-related research, job postings, and training opportunities through our quarterly newsletters, mailing listserv, and our Twitter account.

Get to know us by checking out our member profiles or reach out to let us know how we can help you.

COVID-19 Models and Child Health

• COVID-19 Decision Analytic Models
  • SMDM 42nd Annual North American Research Meeting Keynote by Harvey Fineberg, et al. October 6, 2020. Watch the videos here. Read the summaries here.
  • Bilinski A, Salomon JA, Giardina J, et al. [Pre-print] “Passing the test: a model-based analysis of safe school reopening strategies.” January 25, 2021. https://github.com/abilinski/BackToSchool2. See also the accompanying Twitter thread.
  • McGee RS, Homburger JR, Williams HE, et al. [Pre-print] “Model-driven mitigation measures for reopening schools during the COVID-19 pandemic.” January 26, 2021. doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.22.21250282. See also the accompanying Twitter threads and interactive web app that allows you to explore the impact of various mitigation strategies on outbreaks.
  • Naimark D, Mishra S, Barrett K, et al. “Simulation-Based Estimation of SARS-CoV-2 Infections Associated With School Closures and Community-Based Nonpharmaceutical Interventions in Ontario, Canada.” JAMA Network Open. 2021; 4(3):e213793. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.379. See also the accompanying editorial by Ciaranello and Bell, “Using Data and Modeling to Understand the Risks of In-Person Education.”
• COVID-19 School-related Data Inputs
  • Honein MA, Barrios LC, and Brooks JT. “Data and Policy to Guide Opening Schools Safely to Limit the Spread of SARS-CoV-2 Infection.” JAMA. January 26, 2021. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.0374.
  • Falk A, Benda A, Falk P, et al. “COVID-19 Cases and Transmission in 17 K–12 Schools — Wood County, Wisconsin, August 31–November 29, 2020.” MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. January 26, 2021. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7004e3
  • Parolin Z & Lee E. [Pre-print] “Large Socio-Economic, Geographic, and Demographic Disparities Exist in Exposure to School Closures and Distance Learning.” November 15, 2020. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/cr6gq
• BMJ Webinar on COVID-19 and school re-opening knowns and unknowns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOpH9mbiGnQ

Decision Sciences Conferences and Meetings

• Society for Medical Decision Making: October in North America and biannually in the summer in Europe
• ISPOR: The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research
• International Health Economics Association Congress: biannually in the summer in Europe
• Society for Behavioral Medicine: The Society of Behavioral Medicine’s (SBM) Health Decision Making Special Interest Group seeks to understand informed decision making by patients and the general population, shared decision making between patients and health professionals, and clinical decision making by health professionals. SBM meets in April.

Decision Sciences Short Courses

• SMDM Short Courses on patient preferences, patient engagement, valuing inequality in economic evaluation, and modeling can be found here
• SMDM Short Course: Developing Innovative Approaches for Engaging Patients and Improving Decision Making
• SMDM Core Course Certificate Program featuring four introductory courses on cost-effectiveness analysis, shared decision making and patient decision aids, medical decision analysis (decision-analytic modeling), and the psychology of medical decision making.
• ISPOR Short Courses and Webinars regarding health economics outcomes research
• Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) workshops on decision modeling, economic evaluation, and evidence-based decision making
• Decision Analysis in R for Technologies in Health (DARTH) modeling in R workshops
• Leeds Choice Modeling Center courses on choice modeling and stated choice design
• University of Aberdeen Health Economics Research Unit course on discrete choice experiments

Upcoming Events

• We will be at the Health Services Research Investigators & Trainees Reception at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies on Thursday, May 13, 2021, 5-6 pm (CT). RSVP here. See you there!
• We compiled a list of all of the decision science and medical decision making-related abstracts being presented at PAS 2021. Did we miss your presentation? Use our contact form or DM us on Twitter to let us know what and when you are presenting!
• Stay tuned for information about future watch parties where we will highlight and discuss selected decision science presentations.

Our Work and Previous Events

• Lipstein EA, Brinkman WB, Fiks AG, et al. “An Emerging Field of Research: Challenges in Pediatric Decision Making.” Medical Decision Making. 2015 Apr;35(3): 403-8. Read More.
• Wright DR, Lavelle TA, Malik FS, and Prosser LA. (2019, April 29) “Re-mixing methods: using quantitative conjoint analysis research approaches to augment qualitative data.” APA Special Interest Group: Interdisciplinary Pediatric Researchers SIG at the Pediatric Academic Societies 2019 Meeting. Read the workshop summary here.
• Lin J, Lipstein EA, Lundstrom G, Lundstrom R, Sediqzadah S, Tay D, Wittenberg E. (2020, October 27) “Intergenerational Decision Making: The Role of Family Relationships in Medical Decision Making.” Society for Medical Decision Making 42nd Annual North American Meeting. Read the abstract and watch the recording here.
• Auger KA, Prosser LA, Salomon JA. “COVID-19 and School Closures: Models, Policy, and Health” journal club. January 20th, 2021.

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