A Multi-Agent System to Support Ambulance Coordination in Time-Critical Patient Treatment

Stroke is the third highest cause of mortality and the first cause of disabled people in western countries. A significant number of the people who survive live with serious physical and psychological disabilities and require permanent assistance in their dairy activities. When detected, there is a limited time in which to take effective treatment measures. In this paper we present a multi-agent system, MASICTUS, with the aim of supporting the diagnosis of acute stroke diseases while coordinating ambulance services and expert neurologists to attend the patient in time. In particular, we propose using an auction mechanism based on trust to coordinate the ambulances. To assure that the patient is treated in time, the system has reactive behavior that is able to deal with incidents that could occur when the ambulance is traveling to the patient’s location or the hospital.