Post-Conference Modgen Workshop

Date: Thursday, June 11, 2009
Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Cost: CDN$50.00
Lunch and refreshments are included

Location: Statistics Canada, Jean Talon Conference Room
170 Tunney’s Pasture Driveway, Ottawa ON K1A 0T6

Modgen: A Programming Language for Microsimulation Model Development

Description: This workshop will introduce the underlying background and concepts of the Modgen programming language and then provide a practical, step-by-step approach showing the creation and development of dynamic microsimulation models using Modgen.

Background information on Modgen

Modgen (Model Generator) is a generic microsimulation programming language supporting the creation, maintenance and documentation of dynamic microsimulation models. Several types of models can be accommodated, be they continuous or discrete time, with interacting or non-interacting populations.

Furthermore, a model developer does not need to have advanced programming skills as a prerequisite to use Modgen. This is possible because Modgen hides underlying mechanisms like event queueing, and creates a stand-alone model with a complete visual interface and detailed model documentation. Model developers can therefore concentrate on model specific code: the declaration of parameters, simulated actors, and events.

High efficiency coding also extends to a model’s output. The programming of an output table only requires a couple of lines. Tabulation is done in continuous time and includes a mechanism for estimating the Monte Carlo variation for any cell of any table.

Modgen features

• Discrete or continuous time
• Interacting or non-interacting populations
• Modular development
• Multilingual models possible
• Powerful tabulation facilities
• Standard errors and coefficients of variation for tables
• Export of parameters and tables to Excel
• Unlimited number of dimensions for parameters and tables
• Visualization of individual life courses
• Common user interface for all models
• Scenario management
• Fully documented user interface
• Generation of detailed encyclopaedic model documentation
• Multi-threading and grid-computing possible
  

Modgen users and models

The origin of Modgen dates back to the early 1990’s when it was created at Statistics Canada to assist in the development of a model to study diseases. Today, however, the use of Modgen has expanded internationally to diverse institutions such as:

• World Health Organization
• UCLA School of Public Health
• London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
• McGill University

Models are currently established or in development to:

• Analyze, develop and cost government programs, such as public pension sustainability or post-secondary education
• Estimate the life time costs of diseases, such as heart disease or lung cancer, and evaluate the potential impacts of public health interventions on those diseases
• Generate detailed population projections
• Perform human resources planning for large enterprises
• Examine the spread of infectious diseases among interacting populations
• Study foetal growth

Modgen has also been used as an instructional tool to teach microsimulation itself to social scientists in both Canada and Europe.

Programming environment/requirements

Modgen runs under the Microsoft Windows operating system. It integrates itself into the Microsoft Visual Studio C++ environment, which is a prerequisite to develop models but not to run them.

More information

The Modgen software and associated documentation are available for download.

For any additional questions, please contact:
microsimulation@statcan.gc.ca