JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

The Drone Transport Initiative is a co-created healthcare innovation project between the Stellat’en First Nation, the Village of Fraser Lake, the University of British Columbia, and other health partners that investigated the use of drones to transport medical supplies.

Objective:

This project aimed to understand the experiences and perceptions of people involved in the initiative.

Methods:

Twenty participants with varying technical and leadership roles participated in a semi-structured interview. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted to understand partners’ experiences and perceptions of the project. Initial results were shared with team members, including co-sponsors and communities, to interpret the findings and formulate discussion topics.

Results:

People generally expressed positive experiences from being part of the Drone Transport Initiative, despite remarking on various challenges. Major themes derived from the analysis centered upon 1) building respectful and trusting relationships; 2) mutual benefits that enabled effective and engaged partnerships; 3) meaningful community engagement that facilitated community acceptance and ownership of the project; and 4) this project is “the first step of something big.” Themes were further divided into sub-themes characterized as processes or outcomes.

Conclusions:

The findings uncovered the importance of building trusting relationships between involved communities and partners and highlighted the potential for drones to be used by communities for their distinct priorities in healthcare and beyond. This work emphasized the relational foundation necessary for implementing and sustaining drone innovation projects in rural settings, contributing positively to healthcare access and wellbeing among rural and First Nations communities.