| Title |
Developing a Spatial Evaluation Model for Infection Control in Elderly Care Facilities Using Agent-Based Models |
| DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5659/JAIK.2025.41.4.61 |
| Keywords |
Agent-based model; Elderly care facility; User behavior; Infectious disease; Simulation model |
| Abstract |
This study focuses on the spatial structure of elderly care facilities and develops a spatial evaluation model for infection control using an agent-based approach. The model is based on the hypothesis that spatial structure affects the spread of infection. This study used an agent-based model to develop a realistic infection simulation by incorporating detailed behavioral logic and spatial occupancy patterns of facility users. The characteristics of the model for infection control in elderly care facilities derived from this study are as follows. First, considering the characteristics of elderly care facilities, the sources of infection were limited to workers and visitors. The initial infection rate was set at 5%, and the extent of infection spread was observed over an 8-hour simulation period. Second, as a result of developing a spatial evaluation model based on the actor model, the agent status according to infection was divided into the infected group, the infected exposure group, and the non-infected group, and by directly utilizing this in space, the occupancy status of space, that is, the extent of infection spread within the space, could be identified. The spatial evaluation model developed in this study can analyze the spread of infection in various spaces by focusing on the spatial configuration according to the function of the elderly care facility. This model can also help to determine which spatial structure within the facility promotes or lessens the spread of infection by evaluating the spread of infection by floor plan type (e.g., group type, corridor type, loop type, corridor type). This analysis can serve as basic data for designing or remodeling elderly care facilities with infection control in mind. |