The Use of Telemedicine and Drones in Rural Clinics on Remote Japanese Islands.

BACKGROUND

Due to the limitations of resources and geographical isolation from the mainland, the use of telemedicine and drones may improve healthcare systems on remote islands. The aim of this study was to survey the status of telemedicine and drones in rural clinics on remote Japanese islands.

METHODS

All rural public clinics (RPCs) on remote Japanese islands, managed in the rural plan of prefectural governments, were mailed a questionnaire on the use of telemedicine and drones in 2022. The survey data of RPCs on smaller remote islands (with a population of <1000 people) and larger remote islands (with a population of ≥1000) were compared.

RESULTS

A total of 89 RPCs (40%) responded completely to the questionnaire. Twenty-one (24%) RPCs on smaller remote islands (41%) used telemedicine more than those on larger remote islands (7%) (P<0.01). Although no RPCs used drones for drug and specimen transfer, 33 (37%) wanted to use drones for drug transfer and 30 (34%) wanted to use them for specimen transfer. The desire to use drones for specimen transfer tended to be high in RPCs on smaller remote islands (43%) compared to that of larger remote islands (24%) (P=0.06).

CONCLUSIONS

The nationwide status of the use of telemedicine and drones was observed in RPCs on remote Japanese islands, which showed that RPCs on smaller remote islands used telemedicine and tended to want to use drones for specimen transfer compared with those on larger remote islands. This could be useful to develop healthcare and daily practice with telemedicine and drones, while considering the island's population size, on remote Japanese islands.