Public Acceptance, Trust, and Self-Efficacy Related to Drone-Assisted Emergency Medical Response in Louisiana

Drones can deliver automated external defibrillators and other emergency supplies to bystanders before an ambulance arrives, but their public-health value depends on whether the public accepts, trusts, and feels able to use them. This study examined public acceptance of drone-assisted emergency medical response in Louisiana, including trust in drone systems and self-efficacy for using drone-delivered medical supplies, and identified demographic, experiential, and attitudinal predictors of acceptance, trust, and self-efficacy among Louisiana adults.

Cross-sectional, observational online survey of 586 Louisiana adults recruited through the Dynata panel and administered via the Research Electronic Data Capture platform. Participants reviewed a standardized educational sequence describing a drone-assisted emergency response scenario before completing validated composite measures of acceptance, trust, and self-efficacy (Cronbach's alpha = .89-.91). Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t tests, paired-samples t tests, one-way analyses of variance, Pearson correlations, hierarchical multiple regression, and thematic analysis of open-ended responses were conducted.

Overall attitudes were favorable: mean acceptance 4.1 (standard deviation [SD] = 1.0), trust 3.8 (SD = 1.0), and self-efficacy 4.0 (SD = 0.9). Trust and self-efficacy were the strongest predictors of acceptance (R² = .57), and trust was the strongest predictor of self-efficacy, indicating that modifiable attitudinal factors, rather than fixed demographic characteristics, drive adoption. Telecommunicator guidance increased self-efficacy versus independent action for both family members and strangers (Cohen's d = 0.41-0.44, p < .001), with no difference by recipient type. Younger and Black or African American respondents reported lower acceptance and self-efficacy. Concerns centered on reliability, navigation accuracy, and user competency; confidence was associated with demonstrated reliability, normalization, telecommunicator support, and training.

Public acceptance is driven primarily by trust and self-efficacy, modifiable factors amenable to targeted implementation. Programs emphasizing operational reliability, telecommunicator integration, public education, and clear user guidance may accelerate adoption. These findings suggest that equity-focused outreach by emergency medical services agencies and public health partners, particularly toward younger adults and Black or African American respondents, who reported lower acceptance and self-efficacy, may help narrow demographic gaps in the public's readiness to use drone-assisted emergency response.