CIVIC-PG Track B: Integrating Drone Delivery of AEDs Into EMS Response (IN-AIR) Study

An estimated 350,000 individuals experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in the United States (US) annually; only ~10% survive. For every minute that passes without cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation, survival likelihood decreases by 10%. Survival is most likely when CPR and defibrillation occur within 5 minutes, but the median emergency medical services (EMS) arrival time in the US is 8 minutes and is far longer in rural areas.

Drones have the potential to decrease AED delivery time, especially in the ~80% of OHCAs that occur in the home, and especially in rural areas. Our prior work has shown that a statewide drone network could decrease median AED arrival time from 7.7 to 2.7 minutes in North Carolina (NC) and double survival rates (24.5% v. 12.3%). However, EMS-integrated AED-drones have not been evaluated in the US.

Our study will evaluate an innovative application of drone technology using a multidisciplinary approach in a real-world environment in rural, residential, and urban areas of NC.

Using a multidisciplinary approach in a real-world environment in rural, residential, and urban areas of NC, we propose to evaluate the feasibility and time savings of integrating an AED-drone delivery system into an existing EMS dispatch/9-1-1 telecommunication system. This fully integrated drone-AED-EMS system will be ready to respond to suspected OHCA cases in the field and augment traditional ground transport.

We will also evaluate EMS readiness to implement a statewide AED-drone network across NC. Finally, we aim—for the first time in NC and possibly the US—to dispatch an AED-drone to a live OHCA via an EMS-integrated system.

This project is in response to the Civic Innovation Challenge program’s Track B. Bridging the gap between essential resources and services & community needs and is a collaboration between NSF, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Energy.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.