An innovative approach to delivering essential health resources to rural Kentuckians has demonstrated the potential of using drone technology to overcome geographical barriers to improve health care access.
The paper titled "Exploratory Pilot Study Engages Community Health Workers to Test Drone-Based Package Delivery System for Personal Protective Equipment in High-Risk Appalachia Population" was recently published in Health Promotion Practice.
The pilot study was a collaborative effort between the University of Kentucky's Center of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) in Hazard, Kentucky, the USA Drone Port and Kentucky Homeplace, a community health worker (CHW) program part of CERH. The pilot project was funded by the UK Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental Science (UK-CARES).
The team successfully used drones to deliver personal protective equipment (PPE) to high-risk clients in Eastern Kentucky. PPE, like face masks and gloves, were an important tool in stopping the spread of COVID-19 during the pandemic.
"We saw a critical need to be addressed in Appalachian Kentucky during the pandemic. Thanks to our partners who are embedded in these communities, we were able to come up with a solution that holds great promise for the future of health care access in this region," said Fran Feltner, D.N.P., the former CERH director who recently retired from UK.
The project paired USA Drone Port with CHWs, who recruited 10 Homeplace clients, coordinated the drone deliveries and served as "visual observers" for the drone pilots. Drones delivered items like masks, gloves and disinfectants.
"This initiative provided critical data on the effectiveness of unmanned aerial systems in emergency response and public health logistics, particularly during times of crisis," said Bart Massey, executive director of the USA Drone Port. "Our efforts went beyond conventional drone operations. We developed and customized innovative equipment, tailored specifically for safe and efficient PPE transport."
The study indicated 80% of participants said they were extremely satisfied with the drone delivery process. Many found the process easy, from scheduling the delivery to receiving it, and said they'd be willing to receive items via drone again.
This exploratory study found that drone-based package delivery of PPE coordinated by a multidisciplinary team in Appalachia was safe, feasible and effective. It also significantly increased access to needed PPE during the pandemic.
"Overall, we found that drone technology could be a cutting-edge health promotion approach to building capacity for environmental health science in Appalachia. The results of this study provide the proof of concept to assist investigators in designing future projects to promote healthy environments by collecting air and water samples and testing novel interventions deploying drone technology in remote areas of Appalachia," said Ellen Hahn, Ph.D., former UK Center for Appalachian Research in Environmental Science (UK-CARES) director and professor emerita in the College of Nursing.
Researchers noted the small sample size for this project but said it highlights the trusting relationship CHWs have built in this region.
"This work is a good example of how a team of trusted community health workers, rural health promotion practitioners, drone experts and researchers worked together to implement and evaluate a community-responsive project using drones to improve access," said Feltner.
The USA Drone Port is also using the findings to support its application to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for permission to fly drones beyond the visual line of sight in remote areas, which would greatly increase the ability of drone delivery to reach more people in need. The project also developed certification standards, at the request of the FAA, for consideration as a model for new national standards.
"We are grateful to our partners for their dedication and vision in making this project a success," said Massey. "The knowledge gained from this work shows that drones are not just future technology - they are a transformative tool for public health, emergency preparedness and rural accessibility today."
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number P30ES026529. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
