Autonomous Vehicles and Drones May Help Address Rural Healthcare Disparities

Autonomous Vehicles and Drones May Help Address Rural Healthcare Disparities: Autonomous vehicles, drones, and tele-enabled ambulance services are being considered to address rural health disparities by a partnership between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and Texas A&M Health Science Center. The joint project will research innovative care delivery strategies and other rural health issues. BCBS of Texas is contributing $10 million to the Health Science Center as a part of the Affordability Cures program to reduce healthcare costs, address health disparities and improve social determinants of health. Projects will look at engaging vulnerabilities and improving access to healthcare, which will include the use of autonomous vehicles, drones, and tele-enabled ambulances as a way to provide better access to rural areas. Research will also analyze the impact of hospital closure on common conditions, study a network that fits the size of community it serves, and evaluate how communities are able to deal with chronic conditions such as diabetes. 'Technology has