Impact of the population pyramid on the ED

A country’s population pyramid can affect the quality and demand for emergency departments in several ways. Emergency departament (ED) may need specialized resources and equipment to meet the population’s needs. In this research, we present an analysis of scenarios through agent-based modeling and simulation. We analyzed the population pyramids of Spain, Argentina, and Paraguay to provide insight into how demographic structure impacts the length of stay (LoS) and the need for medical and nursing staff. This can help policymakers and health managers better plan health resources and services in each country. We verified the evolution of the parameters, length of stay (LoS), and the occupation of doctors and nurses depending on different scenarios, such as the age of the patients and the number of patients arriving at the hospital, and how it can lead to saturation of the ED. Through several scenarios analyzed through simulations, we were able to conclude that the age pyramid of the patients treated at the ED of a hospital affects the demand for services, the complexity of cases, the need for specialized care in human and material resources, as well as waiting time and congestion in the ED. Saturation in the ED due to increased patient arrivals can negatively affect the quality of medical care (due to the shortage of human resources, materials, beds, and boxes), patient safety, and the saturation of medical and nursing staff. Implementing measures to manage demand and optimize available resources effectively is essential to ensure adequate care for all patients in EDs.