Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35908822›Full record

ArticleAmerican journal of infection control2022

The use of drones for the delivery of diagnostic test kits and medical supplies to remote First Nations communities during Covid-19.

Kristin Flemons, Barry Baylis, Aurang Zeb Khan, Andrew W Kirkpatrick, Ken Whitehead, Shahab Moeini, Allister Schreiber, Stephanie Lapointe, Sara Ashoori, Mishal Arif and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in American journal of infection control, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

18 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Review
  18. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Kristin FlemonsW21C Research and Innovation Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Barry BaylisW21C Research and Innovation Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; O'Brien Institute for Public Health, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Aurang Zeb KhanStoney Health Services, Morley, Alberta, Canada.
Andrew W KirkpatrickDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Surgery, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Trauma Services, Foothills Medical Centre, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Tele-Mentored Ultrasound Supported Medical Interaction (TMUSMI) Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Ken WhiteheadCentre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems, Applied Research and Innovation Services, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Shahab MoeiniCentre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems, Applied Research and Innovation Services, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Allister SchreiberCentre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems, Applied Research and Innovation Services, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Stephanie LapointeCentre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems, Applied Research and Innovation Services, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Sara AshooriCentre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems, Applied Research and Innovation Services, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Mishal ArifCentre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems, Applied Research and Innovation Services, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Byron BerengerDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Alberta Public Health Laboratory, Alberta Precision Laboratories, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
John ConlyW21C Research and Innovation Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; O'Brien Institute for Public Health, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: john.conly@albertahealthservices.ca.
Wade HawkinsCentre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems, Applied Research and Innovation Services, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address: Wade.Hawkins@sait.ca.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHealth care inequity in remote and rural Indigenous communities often involves difficulty accessing health care services and supplies. Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, or drones, offer a potentially cost-effective method for reducing inequity by removing geographic barriers, increasing timeliness, and improving accessibility of supplies, equipment, and remote care.

methodsWe assessed the feasibility of drones for delivery of supplies, medical equipment, and medical treatment across multiple platforms, including drone fleet development and testing; payload system integration (custom fixed-mount, winch, and parachute); and medical delivery simulations (COVID-19 test kit delivery and return, delivery of personal protective equipment, and remote ultrasound delivery and testing).

resultsDrone operational development has led to a finalized, scalable fleet of small to large drones with functional standard operating procedures across a range of scenarios, and custom payload systems including a fixed-mount, winch-based and parachute-based system. Simulation scenarios were successful, with COVID-19 test swabs returned to the lab with no signal degradation and a remote ultrasound successfully delivered and remotely guided in the field. DISCUSSION/

conclusionsDrone-based medical delivery models offer an innovative approach to addressing longstanding issues of health care access and equity and are particularly relevant in the context of SARS-CoV-2.

Indexed as

COVID-19Reagent Kits, DiagnosticAircraftCOVID-19 TestingHumansSARS-CoV-2Unmanned Aerial DevicesReagent Kits, DiagnosticDronesHealth care accessRemotely piloted aircraft systemsRemote ultrasoundSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID35908822
PMCPMC9329072

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.