The use of drones for the delivery of diagnostic test kits and medical supplies to remote First Nations communities during Covid-19.
Drones
Health care access
Remote ultrasound
Remotely piloted aircraft systems
SARS-CoV-2
Journal
American journal of infection control
ISSN: 1527-3296
Titre abrégé: Am J Infect Control
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 8004854
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
08 2022
08 2022
Historique:
received:
23
12
2021
revised:
04
03
2022
accepted:
05
03
2022
entrez:
31
7
2022
pubmed:
1
8
2022
medline:
3
8
2022
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Health care inequity in remote and rural Indigenous communities often involves difficulty accessing health care services and supplies. Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, or drones, offer a potentially cost-effective method for reducing inequity by removing geographic barriers, increasing timeliness, and improving accessibility of supplies, equipment, and remote care. We assessed the feasibility of drones for delivery of supplies, medical equipment, and medical treatment across multiple platforms, including drone fleet development and testing; payload system integration (custom fixed-mount, winch, and parachute); and medical delivery simulations (COVID-19 test kit delivery and return, delivery of personal protective equipment, and remote ultrasound delivery and testing). Drone operational development has led to a finalized, scalable fleet of small to large drones with functional standard operating procedures across a range of scenarios, and custom payload systems including a fixed-mount, winch-based and parachute-based system. Simulation scenarios were successful, with COVID-19 test swabs returned to the lab with no signal degradation and a remote ultrasound successfully delivered and remotely guided in the field. Drone-based medical delivery models offer an innovative approach to addressing longstanding issues of health care access and equity and are particularly relevant in the context of SARS-CoV-2.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
Health care inequity in remote and rural Indigenous communities often involves difficulty accessing health care services and supplies. Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, or drones, offer a potentially cost-effective method for reducing inequity by removing geographic barriers, increasing timeliness, and improving accessibility of supplies, equipment, and remote care.
METHODS
We assessed the feasibility of drones for delivery of supplies, medical equipment, and medical treatment across multiple platforms, including drone fleet development and testing; payload system integration (custom fixed-mount, winch, and parachute); and medical delivery simulations (COVID-19 test kit delivery and return, delivery of personal protective equipment, and remote ultrasound delivery and testing).
RESULTS
Drone operational development has led to a finalized, scalable fleet of small to large drones with functional standard operating procedures across a range of scenarios, and custom payload systems including a fixed-mount, winch-based and parachute-based system. Simulation scenarios were successful, with COVID-19 test swabs returned to the lab with no signal degradation and a remote ultrasound successfully delivered and remotely guided in the field.
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS
Drone-based medical delivery models offer an innovative approach to addressing longstanding issues of health care access and equity and are particularly relevant in the context of SARS-CoV-2.
Identifiants
pubmed: 35908822
pii: S0196-6553(22)00142-0
doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2022.03.004
pmc: PMC9329072
pii:
doi:
Substances chimiques
Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
0
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
849-856Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Références
J Ultrasound Med. 2020 Jul;39(7):1413-1419
pubmed: 32227492
Can J Surg. 2020 Nov 30;63(6):E569-E577
pubmed: 33253511
Int J Clin Pract. 2017 Sep;71(9):
pubmed: 28851081
J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2019 Sep;87(3):571-581
pubmed: 31136525
PLoS One. 2018 Dec 18;13(12):e0205299
pubmed: 30562340
Vaccine. 2016 Jul 25;34(34):4062-7
pubmed: 27340098
Healthcare (Basel). 2020 Apr 26;8(2):
pubmed: 32357396
Int J Circumpolar Health. 2007 Jun;66(3):188-98
pubmed: 17655060
J Digit Imaging. 2021 Aug;34(4):841-845
pubmed: 34173090
J Clin Microbiol. 2016 Oct;54(10):2622-5
pubmed: 27535683
CMAJ. 2018 Jan 22;190(3):E88-E89
pubmed: 29358207
BMJ Glob Health. 2019 Jul 30;4(4):e001541
pubmed: 31413873
Glob Health Epidemiol Genom. 2018 Jun 27;3:e13
pubmed: 30263137
J Ultrasound Med. 2021 Sep;40(9):1879-1892
pubmed: 33274782
J Appl Lab Med. 2019 Sep;4(2):296-298
pubmed: 31639681
Annu Rev Biomed Eng. 2021 Jul 13;23:115-139
pubmed: 33770455
Infect Prev Pract. 2021 Sep;3(3):100146
pubmed: 34316585