Communications of the ACM
Drones: Getting There Before an Ambulance
A medical drone is used to be ahead of the ambulance truck to deliver drugs and supplies.
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Researchers at Maimonides Medical Center in the New York City borough of Brooklyn found that medical drones carrying emergency supplies can reach 911 callers in New York City significantly faster than ambulances.
The study demonstrated that first responders from emergency medical services (EMS) arrived on the scene of emergencies in about 9.5 minutes on average, while drones arrived in about 6.5 minutes. In emergencies where every second counts, drones could fly ahead of first responders to deliver drugs and supplies.
In addition, drones could be equipped with a small videoconferencing screen through which a dispatcher could instruct a 911 caller what to do with the medical supplies. Said Maimonides researcher Mark Hanna, "We're not trying replace EMS. We're trying to augment the standard of care."
From IEEE Spectrum
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Abstracts Copyright © 2019 SmithBucklin, Washington, DC, USA
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