Summary Reader Response - Healthcare Drone (Final Draft)

In the article “Drones May Become ‘The Next Big Thing’ In Healthcare Delivery,” Balasubramanian (2022) proposes the idea of using drone technology or UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) in medical industries. UAV is an unmanned aerial vehicle piloted via remote control or onboard computers and previously intended for aerial and military use only. Today, drone technology is widely used in various fields of expertise and exhibits remarkable promise in clinical use. A drone commonly consists of cameras, GPS (Global Positioning System), an onboard computer with AI (Artificial Intelligence) and numerous types of sensors, allowing for better independence and efficient flights (Scott & Scott, 2017). The cameras installed are high-performance, zoom and gimbal Steadicam with tilt capabilities, which helps to produce more accurate, sharper images (Lutkevich, B. & Earls, A. R., 2021). The GPS and onboard computer with AI (Artificial Intelligence) helps the drone to determine its coordinates, improving its navigational accuracy. The sensors equipped on the drone, namely ultrasonic and collision avoidance sensors, help to prevent crashing down and avoid any potential obstacle. In addition, for a healthcare drone, various medical equipment related to first aid measures can be incorporated onto the drone itself, enhancing its life-saving capabilities, such as devices monitoring EKG activity, pulse, blood pressure, temperature, oxygen saturation and ultrasound (Rhythm Technologies, Inc., n.d.; Sotera Wireless, Inc., n.d.; Zhao et al. 2015). Healthcare industries should implement drone technology into their medical services due to its ability to reach remote areas, transportation of lab samples, specimens and organs that are time-restricted and delivery of portable medical instruments.

Firstly, with the quadcopter design, drones can generate enough lift to fly past most terrains, which helps in reaching rural or remote areas. There are still communities living in remote areas that are inaccessible via traditional transportation, or the routes to any medical facilities in the area are blocked due to various issues like bad terrain, obstacles, or roadblocks (Amukele, 2019). Ling & Draghic (2019) states that with drone technology, it can improve response times and reduce transportation costs, particularly in rural areas. Conversely, it can be related to urban areas, where congestion is a nuisance to emergency medical delivery. Thus, with the use of drone technology, medical service providers can reach their patients from remote locations, as drone technology provides the ability to swiftly bypass obstacles and rough terrains without risking the service providers (Balasingam, 2017).

Secondly, the transportation of lab specimens, blood and organs via UAVs can be done using air-tight, temperature-regulated carriers. Ling & Draghic (2019) state that a San Francisco Bay-based tech firm, namely Zipline, started a drone delivery operation in Rwanda that oversees the administration of blood, plasma, and platelets to various medical facilities within the region (Ling & Draghic, 2019). This shows that drones can deliver medical supplies that are extremely sensitive to external factors such as temperatures and air pressure. Other than that, drones can help in delivering specimens from medical facilities to laboratories without causing any contamination of the specimens or adversely affecting laboratory results (Ling & Draghic, 2019). Furthermore, Nyaaba & Ayamga (2021) mention that organs can be delivered via aerial drones to ensure the freshness of organs without damaging them, which will directly affect the chance of success for any transplant operations.

Lastly, it is possible to use aerial drones to deliver emergency medical aid like automated external defibrillators (AEDs) or first aid kits by securing the equipment onto the drones’ body frame or mechanical clamps. Through this method, drones can deliver the necessary medical equipment to the patients faster than traditional means like ambulances and paramedics, which can drastically improve the survivability of the patients, especially in life-or-death situations. Therefore, drones can provide swift delivery of medical devices to patients, for them to self-administer before the emergency response team arrives at the scene (Boutilier et al., 2017; Ling & Draghic, 2019; Sanfridsson et al., 2019).

However, despite the enormous potential and various possibilities for the usage of drone technology in healthcare industries, there are still some downsides that need to be looked at closely. Firstly, the storage and transportation of specimens via drones must be rigorous and well-regulated. Any mismanagement of aspects like the temperature of storage or the duration of transportation could severely affect drug efficacy and potentially contaminate the specimen. These compromises could lead to devastating results for the health and well-being of a patient (Balasingam, 2017). Secondly, the effectiveness of drones highly depends on whether the person has any or no professional knowledge of administering medical treatment. Such an arrangement could be a hindrance compared to traditional methods of medical transport and the delivery of medical aid (Balasingam, 2017).

In conclusion, the implementation and usage of drone technology in the healthcare industry is an idea that we cannot ignore due to its vast possibility and potential. Its benefits like the ability to reach remote areas, transportation of lab samples, specimens and organs that are time-restricted and delivery of portable medical instruments will bring the healthcare industry to the next level.

References

Amukele, T. (2019). Current state of drones in healthcare: Challenges and opportunities. The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine, 4(2), 296–298. https://doi.org/10.1373/jalm.2019.030106

 

Balasingam, M. (2017). Drones in medicine - the rise of the machines. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 71(9). https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcp.12989

 

Boutilier, J. J., Brooks, S. C., Janmohamed, A., Byers, A., Buick, J. E., Zhan, C., Schoellig, A. P., Cheskes, S., Morrison, L. J., & Chan, T. C. (2017). Optimizing a drone network to deliver automated external defibrillators. Circulation, 135(25), 2454–2465. https://doi.org/10.1161/circulationaha.116.026318

 

Ling, G., & Draghic, N. (2019). Aerial drones for blood delivery. Transfusion, 59(S2), 1608–1611. https://doi.org/10.1111/trf.15195

 

Lutkevich, B., & Earls, A. R. (2021, December 7). What is a drone? - definition from whatis.com. IoT Agenda. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.techtarget.com/iotagenda/definition/drone

 

Sanfridsson, J., Sparrevik, J., Hollenberg, J., Nordberg, P., Djärv, T., Ringh, M., Svensson, L., Forsberg, S., Nord, A., Andersson-Hagiwara, M., & Claesson, A. (2019). Drone delivery of an automated external defibrillator – a mixed method simulation study of bystander experience. Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine, 27(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13049-019-0622-6

 

Scott, J., & Scott, C. (2017). Drone delivery models for Healthcare. Proceedings of the 50th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (2017). https://doi.org/10.24251/hicss.2017.399

 

Sotera Digital Health: Sotera Digital Health. Sotera Digital Health | Sotera Digital Health. (n.d.). Retrieved September 19, 2022, from http://www.visimobile.com./

 

Uninterrupted ambulatory cardiac monitoring. Uninterrupted Ambulatory Cardiac Monitoring. (n.d.). Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.irhythmtech.com/

 

Zhao, F., Li, M., & Tsien, J. Z. (2015). Technology platforms for remote monitoring of vital signs in the new era of telemedicine. Expert Review of Medical Devices, 12(4), 411–429. https://doi.org/10.1586/17434440.2015.1050957