Drone-Powered Hospital Concept May Impact Future Population Health Management

Leo A. Daly’s Miami, Florida design studio is working on a concept for a drone-powered hospital, which uses autonomous aerial vehicles to deliver food and medical supplies directly to patients.

The idea was inspired by Managing Principal Eduardo Egea’s experience aiding relief efforts in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. With roads out across the island, he thought: How could we provide better healthcare services to more people, more reliably? Supplementing the existing network of terrestrial distribution channels, the drone-powered hospital takes advantage of a new network of fulfillment centers that utilize drones to provide for last-mile delivery. Food, medicine and other medical supplies are delivered directly to patients as needed via a drone port integrated into the exterior wall of each patient room.

The drone-powered hospital concept has several advantages for hurricane-prone healthcare systems, the most obvious of which is an added layer of resiliency in the case of a natural disaster. Additionally, by moving certain materials management, storage, food production and pharmacy functions offsite, drone-powered hospitals would shrink their square footage by 15-17%. The reduced footprint would change the economics of population health management, allowing more, smaller facilities to be built closer to the communities that need them.

Learn more at http://www.leoadaly.com/perspectives/design/drone-powered-hospital/.