Context-specific challenges, opportunities, and ethics of drones for healthcare delivery in the eyes of program managers and field staff: a multi-site qualitative study
Abstract
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) also known as drones have significant potential in the healthcare field. Ethical and practical concerns, challenges, and complexities of using drones for specific and diverse healthcare purposes have been minimally explored to date. This thesis aims to document, and advance awareness of diverse context-specific concerns, challenges, and complexities encountered by individuals working on the front lines of drones for health projects. It draws on original qualitative research and data from semi-structured interviews (N = 16) with drones for health program managers and field staff in nine countries. Directed thematic analysis was used to analyze interviews and identify key ethical and practical concerns, challenges, and complexities experienced by participants in their work with drones for health projects. This thesis shows how the key ethical and practical concerns, challenges, and complexities are interrelated. Concerns and challenges can be mitigated through the development of appropriate guidelines and regulations and community engagement initiatives.