Department of Emergency Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences , Washington, District of Columbia.
Telemed J E Health. 2018 Nov;24(11):833-838. doi: 10.1089/tmj.2017.0289. Epub 2018 Feb 28.
Advances in technology have revolutionized the medical field and changed the way healthcare is delivered. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are the next wave of technological advancements that have the potential to make a huge splash in clinical medicine. UAVs, originally developed for military use, are making their way into the public and private sector. Because they can be flown autonomously and can reach almost any geographical location, the significance of UAVs are becoming increasingly apparent in the medical field.
We conducted a comprehensive review of the English language literature via the PubMed and Google Scholar databases using search terms "unmanned aerial vehicles," "UAVs," and "drone." Preference was given to clinical trials and review articles that addressed the keywords and clinical medicine.
Potential applications of UAVs in medicine are broad. Based on articles identified, we grouped UAV application in medicine into three categories: (1) Prehospital Emergency Care; (2) Expediting Laboratory Diagnostic Testing; and (3) Surveillance. Currently, UAVs have been shown to deliver vaccines, automated external defibrillators, and hematological products. In addition, they are also being studied in the identification of mosquito habitats as well as drowning victims at beaches as a public health surveillance modality.
These preliminary studies shine light on the possibility that UAVs may help to increase access to healthcare for patients who may be otherwise restricted from proper care due to cost, distance, or infrastructure. As with any emerging technology and due to the highly regulated healthcare environment, the safety and effectiveness of this technology need to be thoroughly discussed. Despite the many questions that need to be answered, the application of drones in medicine appears to be promising and can both increase the quality and accessibility of healthcare.
技术的进步彻底改变了医疗领域，改变了医疗服务的提供方式。无人机 (UAV) 是下一波技术进步，有可能在临床医学中产生巨大影响。无人机最初是为军事用途而开发的，现在正逐渐进入公共和私营部门。由于它们可以自主飞行并且可以到达几乎任何地理位置，因此无人机在医学领域的重要性日益明显。
我们通过 PubMed 和 Google Scholar 数据库以“无人飞行器”、“UAV”和“无人机”等术语进行了全面的英语文献综述。优先考虑针对关键词和临床医学的临床试验和综述文章。
无人机在医学中的潜在应用广泛。根据确定的文章，我们将无人机在医学中的应用分为三类：（1） 院前急救；（2） 加快实验室诊断检测；（3） 监测。目前，已经证明无人机可以输送疫苗、自动体外除颤器和血液制品。此外，它们还被用于识别海滩上的蚊子栖息地和溺水受害者，作为公共卫生监测手段。
这些初步研究表明，无人机可能有助于增加那些由于成本、距离或基础设施而无法获得适当护理的患者获得医疗保健的机会。与任何新兴技术一样，由于医疗环境高度监管，必须彻底讨论这项技术的安全性和有效性。尽管还需要回答许多问题，但无人机在医学中的应用似乎很有前途，可以提高医疗保健的质量和可及性。
