Grant: College & Community Social Innovation Fund

Providing Indigenous Communities and Remote Access Sites Immediate Real-Time-At-the-Scene Emergency Response and Health Care Delivery through the Fusion of Drones, Medical Devices, Tele-Mentoring and Point-of-Care Testing and Treatment (Remote React - Drone Delivery POCTT) is led by the Centre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems (CIRUS) at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. It will explore and seek to revolutionize emergency response and healthcare delivery through drone and communication technology. As established experts in drone innovation, CIRUS is well positioned to collaborate with the the Ward of the 21st Century (W21C) Research and Innovation Centre, Tele-Mentored Ultrasound Supported Medical Interventions (TMUSMI) Research Group, and Stoney Nakoda Nation and Frog Lake First Nation to address critical healthcare challenges, notably emergency response and respiratory distress. The project will develop an emergency response drone system for real-time data streaming through the development of an incident command dashboard (ICD), followed by drone-delivered medical payloads for on-site treatment. Physician-led tele-mentoring will guide self-administration of medical devices and treatments. Knowledge transfer and commercialization opportunities within Indigenous communities are expected outcomes and will encompass engagement during development, training, and building internal drone capability. With meaningful, consistent involvement from all partners, that adheres to healthcare guidelines, CIRUS aims to develop a scalable drone-based medical care delivery program that can benefit partner communities in Alberta as well as communities across and beyond Canada with an end goal to improve healthcare outcomes for remote and underserved communities.