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- Title
Do unmanned aerial vehicles reduce the duration and costs in transporting sputum samples? A feasibility study conducted in Himachal Pradesh, India.
- Authors
Thakur, Vishal; Ganeshkumar, Parasuraman; Lakshmanan, Sundaramoorthy; Rubeshkumar, Polani
- Abstract
Background The feasibility of and advantages of using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for sputum transportation for TB in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, India, were evaluated. Methods We conducted a non-randomized interventional study and compared the advantages of sputum transport between UAVs and motorbikes (conventional). Results We completed 151 transportations. Transportation by UAV (7.1±0.8 min) was faster than by motorbike (22.7±4.6 min, p<0.001). Motorbikes covered a greater distance (12.09±1.6 km) than UAVs (2.89±0.35 km, p<0.001). The recurrent cost per transport using an UAV (US |${\$}$| 0.68) was less than by motorbike (US |${\$}$| 1.4). All 26 stakeholders agreed that UAVs would reduce the turnaround time for diagnosis of drug-resistant TB. Conclusions Sputum transportation by UAVs was feasible, cheaper and an efficacious potential alternative to conventional modes of transportation.
- Subjects
HIMACHAL Pradesh (India); INDIA; SPUTUM; TRANSPORTATION costs; CLINICAL trials; DRONE aircraft; FEASIBILITY studies
- Publication
Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, 2022, Vol 116, Issue 10, p971
- ISSN
0035-9203
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/trstmh/trac021