How drones can revolutionize healthcare

A new article posted in the last week European heart diary Discusses the use of drones to provide life-saving automated external defibrillators (AED) for out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients. The study states: “Early chain-of-survival treatment such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation by an automated external defibrillator (AED) before the ambulance arrives is associated with an increased survival rate . Using AEDs in the electrical phase of early cardiac arrest can increase survival rates up to 50–70%. Although hundreds of thousands of AEDs are available in high income countries, their accessibility and use are still low. “

Therefore, the study’s researchers designed a system for using drones on real-life patients with suspected OHCA to see if this was a viable solution to the accessibility problem. A key finding that the authors examined was the ability of drones to reduce first-aid times; While emergency services and ambulances often struggle to meet critical response times, drones may be able to get to the scene faster.

Some other results are described by the authors: “… this study describes for the first time a complete methodology for the use of AED-equipped drones in a real environment. We have shown that it is possible to integrate a complete drone system from the emergency call to the control center in order to fly a drone with final AED delivery on site […] Drones with AEDs could be seen as a pilot aspect of medical treatment with drones. There are several areas in medicine where drones could be lifesaving. For example, there are ongoing studies with drones in the area of ​​drowning and delivery of blood and organs. ”

This is certainly not the only context in which drone technology has been used for important life-saving operations. Earlier this year I wrote about how drones are used to deliver Covid-19 vaccines. In particular, I discussed how Zipline, a drone delivery service, is working with the government of Ghana to distribute vaccines across the country. Since then, Zipline has continuously expanded its presence and services.

I also recently wrote about how telemedicine capabilities are being built into drones to provide on-demand health services: University of Cincinnati researchers developed “a semi-autonomous prototype that can be sent straight to people’s homes. The drones are big enough to carry medication or medical supplies, but small enough to maneuver the tight confines of a house using navigation algorithms … â€These drones also have“ cameras and a screen for patients to speak comfortably with healthcare professionals at home â€, in addition to carrying“ a watertight box the size of a small first aid kit to deliver medical supplies or to collect laboratory tests that they have carried out themselves â€. The possible uses are revolutionary.

While not limited to healthcare, larger companies have also recognized the value of drone technology. Wing, a drone and navigation systems company owned by Alphabet (the parent company of Google), recently announced that it has surpassed nearly 100,000 customer deliveries (with more than “10,000 cups of fresh barista coffee” delivered!) . With Google’s growing commitment to healthcare and its extensive network around the world, it is only a matter of time before this technology makes its way into healthcare services. In fact, the national pharmacy chain Walgreens has already worked with Wing on a pilot partnership to “offer fast and convenient delivery of some of our most sought-after health and wellness, food and beverage and convenience items”.

Amazon, another market leader, is also rapidly ramping up its drone technology with “Prime Airâ€. According to the website, “Amazon Prime Air is a service that uses small drones to deliver packages of up to five pounds in 30 minutes or less”. Given Amazon’s rapidly growing presence in healthcare and pharmacy, it is very plausible that the company will soon be integrating its advanced drone fleet and infrastructure into healthcare.

There is no doubt that the use of drone technology in the healthcare sector is a very promising endeavor. However, organizations and leading regulators need to ensure the feasibility, scalability and efficiency of this technology and balance these aspects with the most important elements of healthcare: patient safety, privacy and autonomy. If innovators can find a way to balance these delicate facets, drones could actually revolutionize the future of healthcare.