UC Professors Partner to Create Telehealth Drone

Four inventors at the University of Cincinnati have created a telehealth drone that can fly right into patients’ homes.

Officials say the device could help improve access to medical services regardless of location. For instance, more than 1 billion people live off dirt roads, which can limit access to doctors, pharmacies or hospitals.

The semi-autonomous drone, officials say, features cameras and a display screen so health care professionals can communicate with patients on the other end. It also carries a waterproof box to deliver medical supplies or collect self-administered lab tests.

The drone is being developed by:

• Victoria Wangia-Anderson, professor of health informatics in UC’s College of Allied Health Sciences
• Manish Kumar, professor of medical engineering, director of the CDS Lab and co-director fo the UAV MASTER Lab within the UC College of Engineering and Applied Science
• Seung-Yeon, associate professor of nutrition sciences in the UC College of Allied Health Sciences
• Debi Sampsel, director of telehealth at UC’s College of Nursing.

The team secured a grant through the UC Office of Research to develop its prototype to test the drone’s feasibility.

“We can perform all kinds of functions: chronic disease management, post-operative care monitoring, health coaching and consultations,” Sampsel said in a statement. “And in the health care arena, there is no age limit. Telehealth services are useful from birth to death.”

Telehealth has emerged during the coronavirus pandemic as a key component of health care solutions. During a recent Business Courier event, Dr. Robert Prichard Jr., chief clinical integration officer for St. Elizabeth Healthcare, discussed the surge in telemedicine, with the Northern Kentucky hospital giant now seeing 10%-15% of its daily visits take place virtually.

To learn more about the project, click here.

The original article can be found at: BizJournals