Frequently Asked Questions

ByRamyar Azar M.D

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What does Method2Model.com actually do?

Method2Model.com helps turn real-world medical, pharma, and allied-health study methods into:

  • A clear method architecture
  • A transparent mathematical model
  • Reproducible code and tools
  • Simulation runs and structured reports

You bring the ideas, protocols, and clinical context. We do the modeling work and keep you involved at every step.

2. Who is this service for?

Typical clients include:

  • Clinician–researchers with trial ideas, treatment protocols, or care pathways
  • Academic and hospital research groups running hypothesis-driven studies
  • Small pharma, biotech, and medtech teams working on drugs, devices, or diagnostics

You do not need to be a mathematician or programmer. Clinical and research expertise is enough.

3. What kinds of projects are “modelable”?

A project is usually modelable if:

  • There is a clear method or protocol (or a draft we can refine)
  • Key elements can be described as states, flows, events, or decisions over time
  • There is at least a rough idea of inputs, outputs, and what decisions the model should support

Examples include:

  • Dosing and scheduling questions
  • Disease progression or response over time
  • Patient flow through diagnostic or treatment pathways
  • Rehabilitation or allied-health interventions with structured sessions

If you are not sure, Stage 0 is designed exactly to answer “is this modelable?”.

4. What is Stage 0 and why is it free?

Stage 0 – Free feasibility check is a light, up-front review.

You send your current method or protocol (for example 2–10 pages, slides, or a draft document). We read it and send a short written answer:

  • Whether it looks modelable as defined
  • What would need to change to make it modelable
  • A rough suggestion of possible modeling directions and stages

Stage 0 is free and without obligation. It protects both sides from starting the wrong project.

5. What happens after Stage 0?

If both sides want to continue, we propose a scope, price, and timeline for Stage 1. Work then progresses stage by stage:

  1. Stage 1 – Method → architecture (MRR)
  2. Stage 2 – Architecture → model & inputs (FDR + ISS)
  3. Stage 3 – Model → code & tool
  4. Stage 4 – Simulation runs & report

You only commit to one paid stage at a time. Each stage has clear deliverables and an approval step before moving on.

6. Do I need to have data before starting?

Not necessarily.

  • Stages 0–1 mainly need a method or protocol, not full datasets.
  • Stage 2 benefits from any available data, even if partial, because it helps set ranges, units, and realism checks.
  • Stages 3–4 can be run on your real data (de-identified and appropriately approved), synthetic data, or a mix.

If you have no data yet, we can still build a conceptual model and discuss what data would be most valuable to collect.

7. How much mathematics or coding do I need to know?

Very little.

  • You do not need to write equations or code.
  • We explain models in plain language, with diagrams and tables where possible.
  • You remain the expert on clinical meaning, plausibility, and constraints; we translate that into model form.

8. Which medical fields do you work in?

Our focus is on:

  • Medicine and clinical research
  • Pharmacology / PK–PD style questions
  • Oncology, neurology, pediatrics, rare disease
  • Allied health and paramedical fields (rehab, physio, etc.)
  • Clinical pathways, diagnostics, workflows, and logistics

If your project falls clearly outside health and life sciences, we may decline or redirect you after Stage 0.

9. How do you communicate during a project?

We keep communication in one main place:

  • A project dashboard where you can upload methods and files, see draft and final deliverables, and read and respond to messages.

Email notifications mirror what happens in the dashboard, so you do not have to keep checking manually.

We ask that you:

  • Respond to key questions and drafts within a reasonable time
  • Tell us early if your method or constraints change

If we cannot get answers after repeated reminders, we may pause the project.

10. How do you handle my data and privacy?

  • Your methods, protocols, and datasets are treated as confidential project material.
  • We are happy to sign an NDA before you share any non-public information.
  • We do not publish your raw data or identifiable patient information.
  • We expect all data you upload to be de-identified in line with your local regulations and ethics approvals.

More technical details are described on the Policies page.

11. Who owns the models and code?

In short:

  • Your original methods and data remain your intellectual property.
  • The project-specific model and code are licensed to you for internal use as agreed in the project proposal.
  • We may keep and reuse anonymised and generalized versions of model components as templates, unless you request a stricter arrangement in writing.

If you require special IP terms (for example, for a commercial product), this must be agreed before Stage 2 or Stage 3 starts.

12. Will my project appear on your website or GitHub?

By default:

  • We create a generalized code example with synthetic or anonymised data, plus a very short case summary (for website / GitHub).
  • These examples are written to avoid revealing your confidential protocol or real patient data.

If you prefer no public example from your project, you can request a “no-publication” policy in writing at the start of the work. We will then keep your project fully private.

13. How is pricing structured?

  • Stage 0 is free.
  • Stages 1–4 are paid, with a written scope, a fixed or bracketed price for each stage, and an approximate timeline.

Price depends mainly on:

  • Complexity of the method and desired model
  • Number of scenarios and outputs
  • Requirements around documentation, validation, and long-term support

An initial overview is given on the Pricing page; the exact amount is confirmed after Stage 0.

14. When do I receive the files?

For each paid stage:

  1. We prepare a draft for your review.
  2. You send comments and we make minor revisions.
  3. Once the stage is approved and payment is completed, we unlock the final files in your dashboard and send you an email confirmation.

Until payment is complete, drafts may be shared for review, but final downloadable files and full code may remain locked or watermarked.

15. What are the main limitations of your service?

Important boundaries:

  • We provide research and decision-support modeling, not direct medical advice.
  • We do not make clinical decisions for individual patients, provide regulatory approvals, or guarantee trial outcomes or commercial success.

Models are always approximations. Their usefulness depends on the quality of the method, data, and assumptions. You remain responsible for how you interpret and use the results.

16. How do I get started?

Starting is simple:

  1. Go to the Stage 0 / Start page.
  2. Fill in the short form and attach your current method or protocol (or a clear description).
  3. We review it and send you a short written answer: whether it is modelable, what realistic next steps look like, and whether we should schedule a brief call.

If you have a question that is not covered here, please contact us through the Contact page or mention it in your Stage 0 submission.