Over the years, human beings have been shown to harness technology to meet their needs and wants. This dedication to the betterment of society has defied the limits of human possibility. Technology is increasingly being applied in modern healthcare to tackle some overarching challenges people face today. Much of the attention has been on the use of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for direct patient intervention and to meet emergency medical supply needs.
Although drone technology was initially intended for aerial and military applications, innovators have since changed the trajectory and customized these systems for healthcare delivery. Already, there have been successful cases of healthcare organizations using drone technology to move laboratory samples, pharmaceuticals, blood products, medical supplies, organs, and vaccines to deserving populations.
This article covers the growing role of drones and UAV support during medical emergencies and what this might mean for the future of healthcare delivery.
The Transportation of Blood and Blood Products
One of the most important issues during medical emergencies is the need for emergency blood supplies to help stop uncontrolled hemorrhage. Because it is one of the primary causes of trauma-induced preventable deaths, stopping uncontrolled hemorrhage on time can greatly improve patient survival.
Patients who have undergone major trauma can be saved through timely blood transfusion. This process can be enhanced by integrating swift and reliable drone transport. An example can be given in Rwanda, where drones are being used to deliver cost-effective blood transportation services during traumatic events such as postpartum hemorrhage. The government has backed the process, which has helped save thousands of lives.
In the United States, the drone delivery of blood and blood products is yet to be successfully implemented due to the high regulation of air traffic. However, given the potential that these technologies have in shaping the future of blood transportation, it is just a matter of time before plans are put into place.
The Shipping of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)
Another fundamental application of drone technology is the delivery of AEDs to emergency locations. Research indicates that over 350,000 people annually experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) in the United States. The survival rate is extremely low at ten percent.
The problem with OHCA situations is that it takes a while before EMS services arrive, leaving victims at the mercy of bystander conduct. Although bystander fibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can work sometimes, inaccuracies or little delays can prove fatal.
In many rural areas, EMS services can take long before they arrive at emergency locations due to technical and logistical challenges. An activity that would often take 8 minutes can take up to 30, depending on the setting. Still, recent studies indicate that drones can deliver AEDs swiftly and reliably to where they are needed. The aim is for the AEDs to reach a designated bystander before emergency services arrive.
Therefore, drones have the capability to save lives in OHCA scenarios. If the use of this technology is completely rolled out, then the healthcare industry can improve the survival rate from the current 10%.
The Transportation of Rescue Medications
As earlier stated, drones are being used today to haul medicines and vaccines to deserving populations.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some drone companies used these technologies to deliver vaccines to rural locations in Africa. The uptake was immense, and the technology has since been rolled out in the United States to deliver health products to customers once they purchase them on e-commerce platforms. This ideology has also spread to Asia, where Japanese companies use drones to haul medical supplies to clinics and pharmacies within the Goto Islands.
Although this reality has only been realized as a response to the pandemic, it can be seen that drone transportation of medical supplies has global applicability as the technology can be implemented both in rural and urban areas.
One of the potential application areas in the United States is the transportation of nasal spray naloxone to help manage opioid overdose (OD) cases. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists cutting opioid addiction rates as one of its key priorities. If drones are to be used to dispatch drones carrying nasal spray naloxone, bystanders would be better equipped to administer the antidote to opioid overdose victims on time.
Search and Rescue
It is vital to note that drones and UAVs have a role in the search and rescue of emergency victims. Because these technologies can fly remotely autonomously or non-autonomously, they can reach remote areas far quicker than humans. Drones and UAVs can also take photos and video recordings in real-time, which helps aid search and rescue (SAR) missions.
At the moment, much of this SAR drone application occurs when saving hikers and skiers in an avalanche, mountainous, and heavy snow regions. Accidents in these areas can greatly reduce survival probabilities meaning that rapid rescue missions are required.
An important point to note is that drones cannot extract victims from such topographical scenarios. However, innovators can integrate multispectral or thermal imaging cameras to identify the presence of gasses which helps locate accident victims.
Here, the aim is to efficiently locate victims and understand their conditions before EMS services can arrive at the emergency locations.
Bottom Line
Given the challenges that have come up in the pandemic era and the need for humans to harness technology for healthcare needs, it can be expected that the use of drones and UAVs will increase.
Drone technology allows healthcare stakeholders to transport blood, blood products, automated external defibrillators (AEDs), rescue medications, and perform search and rescue procedures. With global applicability and confidence increasing across all stakeholders, more utilization of drones and UAVs in healthcare can be expected.
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