Mapping the research landscape of UAV- and eVTOL-enabled emergency medical services: a bibliometric analysis, scoping review, and policy tool assessment

@article{hao2026mapping,
  title = {{Mapping the research landscape of UAV- and eVTOL-enabled emergency medical services: a bibliometric analysis, scoping review, and policy tool assessment}},
  author = {Zhiqiang Hao and Guoxuan Xu and Wei Zhuang and Liangru Xu and Tie Xu and Xingchen Zhu and Xianliang Yan},
  journal = {Frontiers in health services},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/frhs.2026.1861375},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13716796},
  note = {CC BY},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Mapping the research landscape of UAV- and eVTOL-enabled emergency medical services: a bibliometric analysis, scoping review, and policy tool assessment
AU  - Zhiqiang Hao
AU  - Guoxuan Xu
AU  - Wei Zhuang
AU  - Liangru Xu
AU  - Tie Xu
AU  - Xingchen Zhu
AU  - Xianliang Yan
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/15
JO  - Frontiers in health services
DO  - 10.3389/frhs.2026.1861375
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13716796
AB  - Background  Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly recognized as transformative technologies for emergency medical services (EMS). Despite a growing body of evidence on drone-delivered automated external defibrillators (AEDs), blood product logistics, and eVTOL air ambulance simulations, no study has comprehensively mapped this interdisciplinary research landscape while simultaneously analyzing the policy frameworks that govern its implementation.Methods  We conducted a triple-method study integrating bibliometric analysis, a scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, and quantitative policy text analysis. Bibliometric mapping covered 2015 to 2026. The scoping review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology with the PAGER (Patterns, Advances, Gaps, Evidence, Recommendations) synthesis framework, including 168 studies. Policy analysis applied the Rothwell and Zegveld policy tool classification and the Policy Modeling Consistency (PMC) Index to 62 Chinese policy documents related to low-altitude economy and emergency medical rescue (2020-2025), yielding 526 codable policy provisions.Results  The bibliometric analysis identified 683 publications across five thematic clusters, with exponential growth from 2022 onward. The scoping review of 168 studies synthesized evidence showing drone-delivered AEDs arrived before ambulances in 67% of cases (median lead time 3 min 14 s), blood product drone delivery reduced transport time by 61%, and eVTOL air ambulance simulations halved advanced life support response times. All 964 modeled drone networks were cost-effective under model assumptions, improving OHCA survival by 21%-46%. Policy analysis of 62 Chinese documents revealed structural imbalance: supply-side and environmental tools constituted 75.3% of provisions while demand-side tools accounted for only 24.7%. The mean PMC Index was 7.46 (SD = 0.89), with timeliness (0.73) and policy measures (0.72) as the weakest dimensions.Conclusion  The evidence base for UAV/eVTOL-enabled emergency medical services is approaching the consistency needed to inform health systems planning, although no formal risk-of-bias appraisal was undertaken, and a critical disconnect persists between technological readiness and policy infrastructure. We propose a "dual-wheel drive, four-chain integration" framework encompassing scenario implementation and ecosystem cultivation across infrastructure, industrial innovation, institutional policy, and human capital dimensions. This framework offers a roadmap for translating fragmented pilot programs into sustainable, equity-enhancing emergency medical service systems.
SN  - 2813-0146
ER  -