Project Challenge
- ~350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) occur in the US annually; only ~10% survive.
- For every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation, survival likelihood decreases by 10%.
CIVIC-PG Track B: Integrating Drone Delivery of AEDs Into EMS Response (IN-AIR) Study
Chapel Hill, NC
Mecklenburg County, NC
NSF Award ID: 2432182
PI: Wayne Rosamond, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2024 Civic Innovation Challenge
Pilot Vision
- In Stage 1, we expanded our team to include partners with additional areas of expertise and selected 5 target areas in which ArcherFRS ran simulations of AED-drone flights to historical OHCA events (results summarized in Figure). Target areas were selected to maximize potential savings and impact.
- If funded in Stage 2, the IN-AIR team will conduct live simulations to OHCA cases in the 5 target areas and use these data—together with cost-effective-ness analyses–to evaluate potential placement of an ArcherFRS AED-drone.
- Results will provide actionable evidence for local communities, hospital systems, and policymakers considering the feasibility, sustainability, and scalability of an integrated AED drone system to supplement EMS response, particularly for improving access to time-dependent care and survival from OHCA in rural and geographically isolated areas.
Civic Partners:
- Mecklenburg EMS Agency (Medic)
Research Partners:
- Archer First Response Systems (ArcherFRS)
- North Carolina State University
Research Questions
- Can an AED-drone delivery system be integrated into an existing EMS dispatch / 9-1-1 telecommunication system so that the drone-AED-EMS system is ready to respond to suspected OHCA cases in the field alongside traditional EMS ground transport?
- Using this integrated simulation system, how much can a simultaneous dispatch of an AED-drone decrease time to first defibrillation?
- What is the cost-effectiveness of implementing an EMS-integrated AED-drone system to respond to suspected OHCA cases alongside ground transport in remote or geographically isolated areas?
- Can we demonstrate the feasibility and time savings—for the first time in the NC and possibly the US—of dispatching an AED by drone to a live OHCA via an EMS-integrated system alongside traditional ground transport?
- What is the current readiness to implement an AED-drone network across North Carolina, and what challenges still need to be addressed?
Figure: Across 5 target areas:
- Bystander AED use in OHCA < 3%
- Sustained return of spontaneous circulation in only 1/3 of OHCA
- AED-drones could reduce delay by 4 min v. EMS response
- Survival is most likely when CPR and defibrillation occur within 5 min, but median EMS arrival time in the US is 8 min and is far longer in rural areas.
- Drones have the potential to decrease automated external defibrillator (AED) delivery time and improve survival rates; however, EMS-integrated AED-drones have not been evaluated in the US.