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Final Ebenezer Dissertation 7.2812.10 MB
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Dissertation
Flying to save lives: evaluating the adoption and utilization of medical drone technology in Ghana
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Summer 2025
DOI: 10.25820/etd.008160
Abstract
In this multi-phase mixed-methods study, I investigated the implementation, adoption, and impact of medical drone technology (MDT) operated by Zipline International Inc. within Ghana’s healthcare system. I began with a one-month ethnographic study, where I conducted 5–10 hours of weekly participant observation and carried out 12 semi-structured interviews to gain a deep, contextual understanding of Zipline’s real-time operations and its integration into existing healthcare supply chains. In the second phase, guided by the Technological Capital for eHealth Communication (TCeHC) framework, I conducted 18 in-depth interviews with healthcare professionals to explore how they adopt and adapt to MDT, focusing on their technological awareness, access, training, and communication with Zipline staff. In the third phase, I applied the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and surveyed 251 healthcare workers across nine regions of Ghana using stratified random sampling. I analyzed the data using structural equation modeling to examine how performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions influenced their behavioral intention and actual use of MDT.My findings show that Zipline’s drone technology improves emergency response times, reduces stockouts, and expands access to critical medical supplies in hard-to-reach communities. Healthcare professionals reported both enthusiasm and concerns, citing structural challenges such as occasional delivery delays, limited payload capacity, and the need for better coordination. Social influence and facilitating conditions emerged as strong predictors of drone technology use, while some expected relationships, such as performance expectancy, revealed unexpected negative associations with intention to adopt. Through this study, I demonstrate how MDT can reshape healthcare delivery and communication in low-resource settings, offering actionable insights for policy, practice, and future research on health technology integration in underserved regions.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Flying to save lives: evaluating the adoption and utilization of medical drone technology in Ghana
- Creators
- Ebenezer Ato Kwamena Aidoo
- Contributors
- Kate Magsamen-Conrad (Advisor)Helen Lillie (Committee Member)Rachel Young (Committee Member)Jess S Gorzelitz (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Communication Studies
- Date degree season
- Summer 2025
- DOI
- 10.25820/etd.008160
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- xiv, 209 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2025 Ebenezer Ato Kwamena Aidoo
- Language
- English
- Date submitted
- 07/28/2025
- Description illustrations
- illustrations (some color)
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 149-177).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
In many rural areas of Ghana, people struggle to get the medicines and medical supplies they need, especially during emergencies. My research explores how medical drones, small aircraft that deliver items by air, are helping to solve this problem. I focused on the work of Zipline, a US company that uses drones to quickly deliver blood, vaccines, and other essentials to remote health centers. To understand how this technology works on the ground, I spent a month observing Zipline s daily operations and spoke with healthcare workers who use the service. I also interviewed more health professionals and surveyed 251 healthcare workers across the country to find out what makes them more or less likely to use drone delivery in their work.
I found that drones can dramatically improve emergency care, reduce shortages of medicines, and make healthcare more accessible for people in hard-to-reach places. But there are still challenges, like occasional delays, limited space in the drones, and the need for better coordination between clinics and drone teams. Overall, this research shows that medical drones are more than just high-tech gadgets, they are a practical tool that can help save lives. By understanding how people use and adapt to this technology, I offer insights that can help expand its benefits to other communities facing similar challenges.
- Academic Unit
- Communication Studies
- Record Identifier
- 9984948427402771
Metrics
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