A Systematic Review of Drone Customization and Application in Public Health Innovation

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Medical Logistics
• Technology Integration

Background:

• Drones (unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs) have evolved beyond military/recreational use.
• UAV integration into healthcare addresses logistical barriers, particularly in remote or underserved regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the expanding applications of drones in public health.
• To identify future research directions for UAVs in this domain.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines.
• Searched five databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, Web of Science, Scopus).
• Used keywords: "unmanned aerial vehicle," "drone," "UAV" with "public health," "healthcare delivery," "medical logistics," "telemedicine," "remote healthcare."

Main Results:

• 36 studies met inclusion criteria from an initial 1,200 articles.
• Drones demonstrated diverse capabilities in public health.
• Applications include pharmaceutical delivery, organ transport, disaster response, telemedicine, diagnostics, patient monitoring, and waste management.

Conclusions:

• Drones are versatile tools for enhancing public health services.
• Future research should focus on optimizing UAV integration for broader healthcare access and efficiency.