Agent-based emergency decision-making aid for hospital emergency departments

Taboada M, Cabrera E, Epelde F, Iglesias ML, Luque E

Objective: To design a model and a simulation tool that hospital emergency department

directors can use as a decision-making aid for managing human and material resources

and for planning the strategic deployment of resources during an expected pandemic.

Methods: We used an iterative spiral approach to developing the model in 5 phases

(systems analysis, model building, design and implementation of the simulation tool,

verifying the simulators functionality, and validation of the simulator against real

emergency department data). After each iteration, we identified improvements to make

before the next phase. The process was repeated until the model and the simulation tool

behaved similarly to the real system. The data necessary to develop the model were

obtained from 2 hospitals, one a tertiary care facility and the other a secondary one; the

centers were visited and interviews were conducted with the directors, supervisors and

other staff.

Results: The model describes the complex dynamics of a hospital emergency department

whose behavior results from the actions and interactions of agents (patients, physicians,

nurses, managers and other staff); therefore the behavior of each type of agent had to be

reflected in the model. The functioning of the model was verified for a simple department,

with analysis of the effects that changes in emergency staff deployment and levels of

experience would have on the departments output.

Conclusion: The simulation tool proved useful as a decision-making aid, allowing the

user to identify the optimal deployment of human resources for attending a specific

number of patients.

Cabrera E, Epelde F, Iglesias ML, Luque E, Taboada M