Learn more about the Drone Transport Initiative
The Drone Transport Initiative (DTI) is a project jointly led by the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine, the Stellat’en First Nation, the Village of Fraser Lake and various health system partners, intended to examine how unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, could be used to improve health service access in rural and remote communities. While many living in these communities are now able to see a doctor or nurse online through virtual health services, like those offered by the Real-Time Virtual Support by the Rural Coordination Centre of BC, they continue to face significant geographic barriers in accessing diagnostic testing, medications, and other medical supplies. The DTI is therefore seeking to explore the potential of drone technology in reinforcing the supply chain in these contexts and improving health equity alongside rural and remote community members
What We’ve Done (DTI Phase 1, 2020-2023)
Phase one of the DTI was launched through a generous commitment from the 2020 TD Ready Challenge, with additional support from the Government of Canada, Canfor, LifeLabs, and the Air Canada Foundation. and conducted in partnership with the First Nations Health Authority, the Rural Coordination Centre of BC, the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and LifeLabs. Drone technology and services were procured from Drone Delivery Canada to execute phase 1.
This phase of the project, which ran for 12 months between October 2021 and October 2022, resulted in the completion of over 1200 flights and the successful delivery of a variety of medications to Stellat’en First Nation community members (the project also underwent accreditation review to transport laboratory specimens, which was tested with mock samples but not implemented at the time). In doing so, phase one demonstrated the potential for drones to strengthen patient access and support agile and responsive delivery between locations, pointing the way to a future where the technology could become an integral part of BC’s healthcare landscape.
The DTI was selected to present at the BC Health Innovation Symposium held by the Ministry of Health as an innovative project hosted in the Northern Health Region. As well, this project is one of few of its kind that has received approval for beyond-visual-line-of-sight operation and that has been certified to transport cargo classified as ‘Dangerous Goods’ by Transport Canada. The project also hosted a policy analyst from Transport Canada in-community for a tabletop exercise with rural first responders to inform upcoming policy development. Further, in recognition of the collaboration with the Stellat’en First Nation and its contribution to the advancement of aviation, the project was honoured with the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2023 by the BC Aviation Council.
Where We’re Going Next (DTI Phase 2, 2024-onwards)
Phase two of the DTI is currently in the development stage, where partners are engaged to design the future of drones together. Phase two is anticipated to be a multi-year project to create a scalable model for the implementation of drone technology that will inform the establishment of drone operations in other locations and geographic contexts. The scope will also expand beyond the delivery of supplies to community members, and scale up the drone operation to address end-to-end delivery from transport hubs, such as airports, to health facilities, and from there on to patients. It is expected that project findings will be transferrable to other sectors, which could lead to exciting climate change resilience implications down the line as well.
Phase two builds on the lessons learned and community feedback obtained in phase one. The process of identifying project goals and challenges continues to be guided and co-led by Stellat’en First Nation and the Village of Fraser Lake (with additional First Nation communities being expected to join soon), in order to make certain the questions being asked and the outcomes of the project will resonate with the populations the project is intended to serve and improve the likelihood of success and sustainability in future real-world applications of drone technology.
In taking a ‘community-to-lab’ approach to the issue of rural and remote healthcare access, the DTI has also continued to build its network of experts across disciplines. Expanded partnerships with the Canadian Advanced Air Mobility BC Consortium, Prince George Airport Authority, and relationships with regulators will ensure rural considerations are accounted for in discussions around the regulations of drone technology. In relation to the latter, medium-sized drones up to 150kg will soon be permitted to fly in Canada, unlocking greater possibilities for phase two.
Furthermore, in response to the interest garnered by the project, the Office of the Vice-President of Research and Innovation at UBC has selected the DTI to become an established research cluster. Researchers across the University are now joining the cluster to help take on the challenge of using drone technology to strengthen health service delivery across rural and remote BC.
Podcast featuring Dr. John Pawlovich and Sandy Lee
“Send in the drones! Cutting-edge rural medicine“
Introduction to Dr. John Pawlovich’s Rural Chair’s role:
“UBC’s Drone Transport Initiative”
Learn more about rural health needs in Northern BC:
“The Edge of Care”
Questions?
Do you have any questions or comments regarding the Drone Transport Initiative?
Please read our FAQs. If you have any questions about the project, please get in touch with Sandy Lee, Senior Project Manager, at sandy.lee@ubc.ca.
Donors
DTI was launched from a generous commitment from the 2020 TD Ready Challenge. Additional support has been provided by Canada, Canfor, LifeLabs, and the Air Canada Foundation.