Drone Applications for Emergency and Urgent Care: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: In recent years, the use of drones in health emergencies has increased. Among their main benefits are avoiding endangering rescuers, travelling long distances in a short time, or contacting victims in risky situations; but despite their multiple advantages, their use has not been fully demonstrated. Study Objective: This study aims to identify the available evidence on the use of drones in emergency health care compared to traditional health care. Methods: Systematic review of the literature was conducted. Search protocols were developed to locate studies that met the established selection criteria. Six experimental or quasiexperimental studies with high methodological quality published from the beginning of indexing until 2020 were included. Results: Drones covered a significantly larger area than other traditional tracking methods and were very useful for performing preliminary triage, determining needs, and knowing the scene prior to the arrival of rescuers. In addition, drones reduced the time required to locate the victim. Conclusions: Drones are an element to be taken into account when attending health emergencies as they significantly improve the distance travelled to locate accident victims, have the possibility of performing triage prior to the arrival of the health care units, and improve the time and quality of the care provided.