For example, drones are now used in the surveillance of natural disaster sites or areas with biological hazards (eg, earthquakes, floods, forest fires), epidemiological surveillance for the detection and monitoring of disease spread (eg, COVID-19, Ebola, Dengue) 6 or injury prevention (eg, beach surveillance to identify sharks or struggling swimmers). Medical drones are now used in a wide range of medical and public health situations to supplement ground response teams and manned aircraft, particularly in situations in which responders may be in danger or in which manned air or ground vehicles are costly. The first Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved delivery drone in the United States (US) brought medical supplies to a rural Virginia clinic in 2016 5 since then, the use of medical drones has expanded.
4 Health-related applications are only recently becoming more widely explored and accepted. 3 They are now used routinely in farming (eg, monitoring crop growth or pest infestation), environmental services (eg, tracking of animal populations), public safety (eg, conducting surveillance), commercial product delivery (eg, Amazon packages), recreation, real-estate photography, and in other applications. 1, 2 Drones with a wider spectrum of applications have expanded in the last decade, when electronic technology became more sophisticated, costs of cameras, microphones, speakers, and sensors decreased, and battery power improved, allowing for longer flights, higher payloads, and lower costs. Since the first concept of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was used in 1849 when Austria attacked Venice using unmanned balloons carrying explosives, the design and application of autonomous or remotely controlled aircraft, or “drones,” have modernized dramatically.
Research to date suggests that use of drones in emergency medicine is feasible, will be accepted by the public, is cost-effective, and has broad application. Their cost savings compared with ground transportation alone, speed, and convenience make them particularly applicable in the field of emergency medicine. Drones are a promising technology for improving patient survival, outcomes, and quality of life, particularly for those in areas that are remote or that lack funds or infrastructure. Continued technical advances are needed to increase payload capacities, increase flying distances, and integrate drone networks into existing 9-1-1 and EMS systems. Future research is needed to better understand end user perceptions and acceptance. Current challenges to expanding their use in emergency medicine and emergency medical system (EMS) include regulation, safety, flying conditions, concerns about privacy, consent, and confidentiality, and details surrounding the development, operation, and maintenance of a medical drone network. Drones are also being studied and actively used in emergency response to search and rescue operations as well as disaster and mass casualty events. Current applications being studied include delivery of defibrillators in response to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, blood and blood products in response to trauma, and rescue medications. The purpose of this paper is to describe some of the main current and expanding applications of drone technology in emergency medicine and to describe challenges and future opportunities. The use of drone technology in emergency medicine is especially promising given the need for a rapid response to enhance patient outcomes. Health-related applications are only recently becoming more widely explored and accepted. They are now used routinely in farming, environmental surveillance, public safety, commercial product delivery, recreation, and other applications. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles or “drones” has expanded in the last decade, as their technology has become more sophisticated, and costs have decreased.
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