Can drones save lives and money? An economic evaluation of airborne delivery of automated external defibrillators.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is one of the most frequent causes of death in Europe. Emergency medical services often struggle to reach the patient in time, particularly in rural areas. To improve outcome, early defibrillation is required which significantly increases neurologically intact survival. Consequently, many countries place Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in accessible public locations. However, these stationary devices are frequently not available out of hours or too far away in emergencies. An innovative approach to mustering AED is the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS), which deliver the device to the scene.

Methods

This paper evaluates the economic implications of stationary AED versus airborne delivery using scenario-based cost analysis.

SUBMITTER: Roper JWA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10406671 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature