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Kreutzer T, Orbinski J, Appel L, An A, Marston J, Boone E, Vinck P. Ethical implications related to processing of personal data and artificial intelligence in humanitarian crises: a scoping review. BMC Med Ethics 2025; 26:49. [PMID: 40229745 PMCID: PMC11998222 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-025-01189-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2025] [Indexed: 04/16/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Humanitarian organizations are rapidly expanding their use of data in the pursuit of operational gains in effectiveness and efficiency. Ethical risks, particularly from artificial intelligence (AI) data processing, are increasingly recognized yet inadequately addressed by current humanitarian data protection guidelines. This study reports on a scoping review that maps the range of ethical issues that have been raised in the academic literature regarding data processing of people affected by humanitarian crises. METHODS We systematically searched databases to identify peer-reviewed studies published since 2010. Data and findings were standardized, grouping ethical issues into the value categories of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. The study protocol followed Arksey and O'Malley's approach and PRISMA reporting guidelines. RESULTS We identified 16,200 unique records and retained 218 relevant studies. Nearly one in three (n = 66) discussed technologies related to AI. Seventeen studies included an author from a lower-middle income country while four included an author from a low-income country. We identified 22 ethical issues which were then grouped along the four ethical value categories of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. Slightly over half of included studies (n = 113) identified ethical issues based on real-world examples. The most-cited ethical issue (n = 134) was a concern for privacy in cases where personal or sensitive data might be inadvertently shared with third parties. Aside from AI, the technologies most frequently discussed in these studies included social media, crowdsourcing, and mapping tools. CONCLUSIONS Studies highlight significant concerns that data processing in humanitarian contexts can cause additional harm, may not provide direct benefits, may limit affected populations' autonomy, and can lead to the unfair distribution of scarce resources. The increase in AI tool deployment for humanitarian assistance amplifies these concerns. Urgent development of specific, comprehensive guidelines, training, and auditing methods is required to address these ethical challenges. Moreover, empirical research from low and middle-income countries, disproportionally affected by humanitarian crises, is vital to ensure inclusive and diverse perspectives. This research should focus on the ethical implications of both emerging AI systems, as well as established humanitarian data management practices. TRIAL REGISTRATION Not applicable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tino Kreutzer
- Kobo, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- The Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada.
- The Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada.
| | - James Orbinski
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Temerty School of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3K7, Canada
| | - Lora Appel
- Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada
- KITE, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2A2, Canada
- Michael Garron Hospital, Toronto, ON, M4C 3E7, Canada
| | - Aijun An
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, York University, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3, Canada
| | | | - Ella Boone
- The Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Patrick Vinck
- Kobo, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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Manyazewal T, Davey G, Hanlon C, Newport MJ, Hopkins M, Wilburn J, Bakhiet S, Mutesa L, Semahegn A, Assefa E, Fekadu A. Innovative technologies to address neglected tropical diseases in African settings with persistent sociopolitical instability. Nat Commun 2024; 15:10274. [PMID: 39604349 PMCID: PMC11603293 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-54496-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 11/12/2024] [Indexed: 11/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The health, economic, and social burden of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Africa remains substantial, with elimination efforts hindered by persistent sociopolitical instability, including ongoing conflicts among political and ethnic groups that lead to internal displacement and migration. Here, we explore how innovative technologies can support Africa in addressing NTDs amidst such instability, through analysis of WHO and UNHCR data and a systematic literature review. Countries in Africa facing sociopolitical instability also bear a high burden of NTDs, with the continent ranking second globally in NTD burden (33%, 578 million people) and first in internal displacement (50%, 31.6 million people) in 2023. Studies have investigated technologies for their potential in NTD prevention, surveillance, diagnosis, treatment and management. Integrating the evidence, we discuss nine promising technologies-artificial intelligence, drones, mobile clinics, nanotechnology, telemedicine, augmented reality, advanced point-of-care diagnostics, mobile health Apps, and wearable sensors-that could enhance Africa's response to NTDs in the face of persistent sociopolitical instability. As stability returns, these technologies will evolve to support more comprehensive and sustainable health development. The global health community should facilitate deployment of health technologies to those in greatest need to help achieve the NTD 2030 Roadmap and other global health targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsegahun Manyazewal
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Gail Davey
- Centre for Global Health Research, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
- School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Charlotte Hanlon
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Centre for Global Mental Health, Health Services and Population Research Department, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Research and Capacity-Building, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Melanie J Newport
- Centre for Global Health Research, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
| | - Michael Hopkins
- Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Jenni Wilburn
- Centre for Global Health Research, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
| | - Sahar Bakhiet
- Institute of Endemic Diseases, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Leon Mutesa
- Center for Human Genetics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Agumasie Semahegn
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia
| | - Esubalew Assefa
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Health Economics and Policy Research Unit, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Abebaw Fekadu
- Center for Innovative Drug Development and Therapeutic Trials for Africa (CDT-Africa), College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Centre for Global Health Research, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Research and Capacity-Building, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Hoek Spaans R, Drumond B, van Daalen KR, Rorato Vitor AC, Derbyshire A, Da Silva A, Lana RM, Vega MS, Carrasco-Escobar G, Sobral Escada MI, Codeço C, Lowe R. Ethical considerations related to drone use for environment and health research: A scoping review protocol. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0287270. [PMID: 38295017 PMCID: PMC10829986 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The use of drones in environment and health research is a relatively new phenomenon. A principal research activity drones are used for is environmental monitoring, which can raise concerns in local communities. Existing ethical guidance for researchers is often not specific to drone technology and practices vary between research settings. Therefore, this scoping review aims to gather the evidence available on ethical considerations surrounding drone use as perceived by local communities, ethical considerations reported on by researchers implementing drone research, and published ethical guidance related to drone deployment. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This scoping review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines. The literature search will be conducted using academic databases and grey literature sources. After pilot testing the inclusion criteria and data extraction tool, two researchers will double-screen and then chart available evidence independently. A content analysis will be carried out to identify patterns of categories or terms used to describe ethical considerations related to drone usage for environmental monitoring in the literature using the R Package RQDA. Discrepancies in any phase of the project will be solved through consensus between the two reviewers. If consensus cannot be reached, a third arbitrator will be consulted. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval is not required; only secondary data will be used. This protocol is registered on the Open Science Framework (osf.io/a78et). The results will be disseminated through publication in a scientific journal and will be used to inform drone field campaigns in the Wellcome Trust funded HARMONIZE project. HARMONIZE aims to develop cost-effective and reproducible digital infrastructure for stakeholders in climate change hotspots in Latin America & the Caribbean and will use drone technology to collect data on fine scale landscape changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remy Hoek Spaans
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Bruna Drumond
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Saúde Pública, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca (ENSP), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Programa Institucional Territórios Sustentáveis e Saudáveis (PITSS), Vice-Presidência de Ambiente, Atenção e Promoção da Saúde (VPAAPS), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Claudia Rorato Vitor
- National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Laboratory for Investigation in Socio-Environmental Systems (LiSS), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Alison Derbyshire
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Adriano Da Silva
- Instituto de Comunicação e Informação Científica e Tecnológica em Saúde/Fiocruz (Icict/Fiocuz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Mauricio Santos Vega
- Grupo en Biologia Matematica y Computacional, Departamento de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
| | - Gabriel Carrasco-Escobar
- Health Innovation Laboratory, Institute of Tropical Medicine “Alexander von Humboldt”, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Maria Isabel Sobral Escada
- National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Laboratory for Investigation in Socio-Environmental Systems (LiSS), São José dos Campos, Brazil
| | - Claudia Codeço
- Programa de Computação Científica, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rachel Lowe
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
- Centre on Climate Change & Planetary Health and Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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Ameso EA. Digital entanglements: Medical drones in African healthcare systems. Glob Public Health 2024; 19:2405987. [PMID: 39359019 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2024.2405987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 09/13/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
The intensified scramble for the digitalisation of healthcare across Africa, coupled with the general drive for digital economies, has ushered in digital health innovations that are reconfiguring national discourses on humanitarian and development contexts. Through these innovations, imaginaries of health have become entangled with aspirations for universal health coverage (UHC) and the actualisation of the health-related sustainable development goals (SDGs). Among these innovations, drones promise to leapfrog and transform conventional African healthcare systems, which have suffered from structural bottlenecks for years, offering citizens on the margins of care critical biomedical gazes. By using drones, African states hope to improve revenue collection, curb corruption, redress health insecurities and deliver life-saving medicines, vaccines and laboratory diagnostics through a last-mile distribution schedule. Ethnographic fieldwork from 2022 to 2023 in Ghana and Malawi on the use of drones found distortions to the health workforce, disruptions to health work, and a pervasive internal brain drain, all exacerbating health-worker shortages. This paper explores how drones are reconfiguring health work and its available labour force in practice amid persistent shortages of health-workers.
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Merei A, Mcheick H, Ghaddar A. Survey on Path Planning for UAVs in Healthcare Missions. J Med Syst 2023; 47:79. [PMID: 37498478 DOI: 10.1007/s10916-023-01972-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
This article presents a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art applications and methodologies related to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the healthcare sector, with a particular focus on path planning. UAVs have gained remarkable attention in healthcare during the outbreak of COVID-19, and this study explores their potential as a viable option for medical transportation. The survey categorizes existing studies by mission type, challenges addressed, and performance metrics to provide a clearer picture of the path planning problems and potential directions for future research. It highlights the importance of addressing the path planning problem and the challenges that UAVs may face during their missions, including the UAV delivery range limitation, and discusses recent solutions in this field. The study concludes by encouraging researchers to conduct their studies in a realistic environment to reveal UAVs' real potential, usability, and feasibility in the healthcare domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Merei
- Department of Computer Science and Mathematics, University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, 555 University Boulevard, Chicoutimi, G7H 2B1, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Hamid Mcheick
- Department of Computer Science and Mathematics, University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, 555 University Boulevard, Chicoutimi, G7H 2B1, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alia Ghaddar
- Department of Computer Science, International University of Beirut, Mouseitbeh, Mazraa, PO Box: 146404, Beirut, Lebanon
- Department of Computer Science, Lebanese International University, Khiyarah Bekaa, PO Box: 146404, Alkhiyarah, Lebanon
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Fink F, Paulicke D, Grünthal M, Jahn P. "Of course, drones delivering urgent medicines are necessary. But I would not use them until…" Insights from a qualitative study on users' needs and requirements regarding the use of medical drones. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285393. [PMID: 37155650 PMCID: PMC10166545 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The current COVID-19 pandemic, demographic trends, and the increasing shortage of skilled workers pose major challenges for the care of people with and without care needs. The potential of drones as unmanned aerial vehicles in health care is being discussed as an effective innovative way of delivering much-needed medicines, especially in rural areas. Although the advantages are well known, the needs of the users have not yet been taken into account. METHODS Online-based focus groups (via WebEx) were conducted with participants from different disciplines: nursing, pharmacy, physicians. Focus groups with COVID-19 patients were conducted face-to-face. The focus was primarily on potential problems and requirements of the users regarding the use of drones. Structured and contrastive snowball sampling has been deployed. The focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed by a transcription-company, and coded with the help of the program "f4analyse 2" for content (Elo et al. 2008). RESULTS Especially during the pandemic situation, delays, and restrictions in the delivery of medicines have been noticed. All interview partners (patients, pharmacists, physicians, and nurses; n = 36 participants) see drones as useful in cases of limited mobility, time-critical medicines (rapid availability), emergencies, and disasters (e.g., floods), but also for the delivery of regular medicines in rural areas (e.g., for the treatment of chronic diseases). Moreover, only 16.7% of the participants have experiences with drones. DISCUSSION Drone deliveries do not play a role in the health system yet despite their great importance, which is perceived as particularly evident in the pandemic situation. The results lead to the conclusion that this is mainly due to knowledge and application deficits, so that educational and advisory work is absolutely necessary. There is also a need for further studies that go beyond the scope of acceptance research to describing and evaluating concrete scenarios of drone delivery on the basis of a user-centered approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Fink
- Health Service Research Working Group, Acute Care, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Medicine Halle (Saale), Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Translationsregion für digitalisierte Gesundheitsversorgung (TDG), Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Denny Paulicke
- Health Service Research Working Group, Acute Care, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Medicine Halle (Saale), Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Akkon University of Human Sciences, Department of Medical Pedagogy, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Patrick Jahn
- Health Service Research Working Group, Acute Care, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Medicine Halle (Saale), Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Translationsregion für digitalisierte Gesundheitsversorgung (TDG), Halle (Saale), Germany
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Sylverken AA, Owusu M, Agbavor B, Kwarteng A, Ayisi-Boateng NK, Ofori P, El-Duah P, Yeboah R, Aryeetey S, Addo Asamoah J, Ekekpi RZ, Oppong M, Gorman R, Brempong KA, Nyarko-Afriyie E, Owusu Bonsu F, Larsen-Reindorf R, Rockson Adjei M, Boateng G, Asiedu-Bekoe F, Sarkodie B, Laryea DO, Tinkorang E, Kumah Aboagye P, Nsiah Asare A, Obiri-Danso K, Owusu-Dabo E, Adu-Sarkodie Y, Phillips RO. Using drones to transport suspected COVID-19 samples; experiences from the second largest testing centre in Ghana, West Africa. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277057. [PMID: 36318579 PMCID: PMC9624400 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11 2020, by the World Health Organisation prompted the need for a sustained and a rapid international response. In a swift response, the Government of Ghana, in partnership with Zipline company, launched the use of Unmanned Automated Vehicles (UAV) to transport suspected samples from selected districts to two foremost testing centres in the country. Here, we present the experiences of employing this technology and its impact on the transport time to the second largest testing centre, the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR) in Kumasi, Ghana. METHODS Swab samples collected from suspected COVID-19 patients were transported to the Zipline office by health workers. Information on the samples were sent to laboratory personnel located at KCCR through a WhatsApp platform to get them ready to receive the suspected COVID-19 samples while Zipline repackaged samples and transported them via drone. Time of take-off was reported as well as time of drop-off. RESULTS A total of 2537 COVID-19 suspected samples were received via drone transport from 10 districts between April 2020 to June 2021 in 440 deliveries. Ejura-Sekyedumase District Health Directorate delivered the highest number of samples (765; 30%). The farthest district to use the drone was Pru East, located 270 km away from KCCR in Kumasi and 173 km to the Zipline office in Mampong. Here, significantly, it took on the average 39 minutes for drones to deliver samples compared to 117 minutes spent in transporting samples by road (p<0.001). CONCLUSION The use of drones for sample transport during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced the travel time taken for samples to be transported by road to the testing site. This has enhanced innovative measures to fight the pandemic using technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augustina Angelina Sylverken
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Michael Owusu
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Bernadette Agbavor
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Alex Kwarteng
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Nana Kwame Ayisi-Boateng
- University Hospital, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Department of Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Patrick Ofori
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Philip El-Duah
- Institute of Virology, Charite, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Richmond Yeboah
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Sherihane Aryeetey
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Jesse Addo Asamoah
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Rita Ziem Ekekpi
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Morrah Oppong
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Richmond Gorman
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Kofi Adjei Brempong
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Emmanuella Nyarko-Afriyie
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | | | | | | | - Gifty Boateng
- National Public Health Reference Laboratory, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Badu Sarkodie
- Public Health Division, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Emmanuel Tinkorang
- Ashanti Regional Health Directorate, Ghana Health Service, Kumasi, Ghana
| | | | - Anthony Nsiah Asare
- Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Office of the President, Jubilee House, Accra, Ghana
| | - Kwasi Obiri-Danso
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Ellis Owusu-Dabo
- Department of Global and International Health, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Yaw Adu-Sarkodie
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Richard Odame Phillips
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Department of Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Department of Medicine, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana
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Annan E, Guo J, Angulo-Molina A, Yaacob WFW, Aghamohammadi N, C Guetterman T, Yavaşoglu Sİ, Bardosh K, Dom NC, Zhao B, Lopez-Lemus UA, Khan L, Nguyen USDT, Haque U. Community acceptability of dengue fever surveillance using unmanned aerial vehicles: A cross-sectional study in Malaysia, Mexico, and Turkey. Travel Med Infect Dis 2022; 49:102360. [PMID: 35644475 DOI: 10.1016/j.tmaid.2022.102360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Surveillance is a critical component of any dengue prevention and control program. There is an increasing effort to use drones in mosquito control surveillance. Due to the novelty of drones, data are scarce on the impact and acceptance of their use in the communities to collect health-related data. The use of drones raises concerns about the protection of human privacy. Here, we show how willingness to be trained and acceptance of drone use in tech-savvy communities can help further discussions in mosquito surveillance. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Malaysia, Mexico, and Turkey to assess knowledge of diseases caused by Aedes mosquitoes, perceptions about drone use for data collection, and acceptance of drones for Aedes mosquito surveillance around homes. Compared with people living in Turkey, Mexicans had 14.3 (p < 0.0001) times higher odds and Malaysians had 4.0 (p = 0.7030) times the odds of being willing to download a mosquito surveillance app. Compared to urban dwellers, rural dwellers had 1.56 times the odds of being willing to be trained. There is widespread community support for drone use in mosquito surveillance and this community buy-in suggests a potential for success in mosquito surveillance using drones. A successful surveillance and community engagement system may be used to monitor a variety of mosquito spp. Future research should include qualitative interview data to add context to these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Annan
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA.
| | - Jinghui Guo
- Department of Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Aracely Angulo-Molina
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Sonora, Hermosillo, 83000, Sonora, Mexico
| | - Wan Fairos Wan Yaacob
- Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Kelantan, Kampus Kota Bharu, Lembah Sireh, 15050, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia; Institute for Big Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (IBDAAI), Kompleks Al-Khawarizmi, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nasrin Aghamohammadi
- Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia
| | | | - Sare İlknur Yavaşoglu
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, Aydın Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, 09010, Turkey
| | - Kevin Bardosh
- Center for One Health Research, School of Public Health, University of Washington, USA
| | - Nazri Che Dom
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Selangor, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Bingxin Zhao
- Department of Statistics, Purdue University, 250 N. University St, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Uriel A Lopez-Lemus
- Department of Health Sciences, Center for Biodefense and Global Infectious Diseases, Colima, 28078, Mexico
| | - Latifur Khan
- Department of Computer Science, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
| | - Uyen-Sa D T Nguyen
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
| | - Ubydul Haque
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
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Stephan F, Reinsperger N, Grünthal M, Paulicke D, Jahn P. Human drone interaction in delivery of medical supplies: A scoping review of experimental studies. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0267664. [PMID: 35482656 PMCID: PMC9049298 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic, ageing populations and the increasing shortage of skilled workers pose great challenges for the delivery of supplies for people with and without care needs. The potential of drones, as unmanned air vehicles, in healthcare are huge and are discussed as an effective new way to delivery urgent medicines and medical devices, especially in rural areas. Although the advantages are obvious, perspectives of users are important particularly in the development process. Investigating human drone interaction could potentially increase usefulness and usability. The present study aims to perform a systematic scoping review on experimental studies examining the human drone interaction in deliveries of drugs and defibrillators. METHODS Two databases (MEDLINE and CINAHL) and references of identified publications were searched without narrowing the year of publication or language. Studies that investigated the human drone interaction or medical delivery with drones in an experimental manner were included (research articles). All studies that only simulated the delivery process were excluded. RESULTS The search revealed 83 publications with four studies being included. These studies investigated the user experience of drone delivered defibrillators, but no study was identified that investigated the human drone interaction in the delivery of drugs. Three categories of human drone interaction were identified: landing, handover, and communications. Regarding landing and handover, the most important issue was the direct physical contact with the drone while regarding communications users need clearer instructions about drone´s direction, sound and look like. DISCUSSION The identified studies used technology-driven approaches by investigating human drone interaction in already existing technologies. Users must become integral part of the whole development process of medical drone services to reduce concerns, and to improve security, usability and usefulness of the system. Human drone interaction should be developed according to the identified categories of human drone interaction by using demand- and technology-driven approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Stephan
- Health Service Research Working Group | Acute Care, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Medicine Halle (Saale), Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Translationsregion Für Digitalisierte Gesundheitsversorgung (TDG), Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Nicole Reinsperger
- Department of Internal Medicine, Health Service Research/Nursing in Hospital, University Hospital Halle (Saale), Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | - Denny Paulicke
- Health Service Research Working Group | Acute Care, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Medicine Halle (Saale), Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Akkon University of Human Sciences, Department of Medical Pedagogy, Berlin, Germany
| | - Patrick Jahn
- Health Service Research Working Group | Acute Care, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Medicine Halle (Saale), Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Translationsregion Für Digitalisierte Gesundheitsversorgung (TDG), Halle (Saale), Germany
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Abstract
The integration of drones into health care as a supplement to existing logistics methods may generate a need for cooperation and involvement across multiple resource areas. It is currently not well understood whether such integrations would merely represent a technical implementation or if they would cause more significant changes to laboratory services. By choosing socio-technical theory as the theoretical lens, this paper intends to harvest knowledge from the literature on various organizational concepts and examine possible synergies between such theories to determine optimal strategies for introducing the use of drones in a health care context. Our particular interest is to examine whether the insights generated from the multi-level perspective (MLP) may have the potential to create dynamic spin-offs related to the organizational transitions associated with the implementation of drones in health services. We built our study on a scoping literature review of topics associated with the MLP and socio-technical studies from differing arenas, supplemented with studies harvested on a broader basis. The scoping review is based on 25 articles that were selected for analysis. As a way of organizing the literature, the niche, regime, and landscape levels of the MLP are translated to the corresponding health care-related terms, i.e., clinic, institution, and health care system. Furthermore, subcategories emerged inductively during the process of analysis. The MLP provides essential knowledge regarding the context for innovation and how the interaction between the different levels can accelerate the diffusion of innovations. Several authors have put both ethical topics and public acceptance into a socio-technological perspective. Although a socio-technical approach is not needed to operate drones, it may help in the long run to invest in a culture that is open to innovation and change.
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Unbundling the significance of cognitive robots and drones deployed to tackle COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid review to unpack emerging opportunities to improve healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa. COGNITIVE ROBOTICS 2021. [PMCID: PMC8595978 DOI: 10.1016/j.cogr.2021.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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