However, beyond these broader applications by epidemiologists,
cohort data can inform policy through incorporation into cost of
illness studies , cost-effectiveness models that require natural
history models for disease and outcomes , and disease models to
evaluate screening and other prevention interventions . Thus to
fully quantify the contribution of prospective data from cohort studies,
we will need improved tracking of the use of such epidemiologic
data as well as broader training of epidemiologists to engage in these
collaborative studies.