Scoping the potential of integrating unmanned aerial systems into health care delivery in the Northern Territory

The distribution of the Northern Territory’s population is amongst one of the most sparsely settled jurisdictions in the developed world. The delivery of time-critical medical items is a serious limitation and cost for healthcare in remote and regional Australia. Over the past few years, there has been much talk at all levels of government around the use of UAVs for medical delivery to remote communities in Australia and a number of foreign companies have offered to supply this service for absorbent up-front finance. However, quantitative assessments about the extent that UAVs may improve the effectiveness and efficiency of health care in the Northern Territory are absent. Scoping the potential and mapping demand are critical for understanding how UAVs fit into current medical delivery infrastructure, and where they should be used to make significant reductions in overall costs.