Key Objectives:
- Discuss methods and processes to increase timeliness of opioid overdose surveillance using ESSENCE.
- Incorporating opioid surveillance into Syndromic Surveillance.
- Share successes, challenges, and lessons learned in undertaking this project.
- Discuss dissemination of findings to relevant stakeholders who prevent and respond to overdoses.
- An open forum to collaborate and discuss methods for improvement and data analysis capabilities including but not limited to linking ESSENCE data to other data sources.
Brief Summary:
The abuse of prescription drugs is the fastest growing drug problem in the United States, and prescription drugs are now the second most abused drug after marijuana among teens. Approximately 100 people die every day in the U.S. from drug overdoses, with opioid pharmaceuticals being the leading cause of fatal overdose, surpassing both heroin and cocaine. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that more accidental deaths are a result of drug overdose as compared to traffic accidents. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) report entitled Prescription Painkiller Overdoses in the US, Nevada has some of the highest rates of prescription painkillers sold and drug overdose deaths per capita. 1 An evaluation of the data for a period of three months showed the following: Total Emergency Department visits: 100,924 Any Opioid: 365 (0.36%) Acute Opioid: 97 (0.10%) Chronic Opioid: 268 (0.27%) Heroin Visits: 138 (0.14%) Acute Heroin: 31 (0.03%) Chronic Heroin: 107 (0.11%) The Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) hosts the local instance of ESSENCE for the state of Nevada. In order to provide real time monitoring and surveillance of opioid related Emergency Department (ED) visits, an opioid dashboard was built within ESSENCE. This dashboard gives a snapshot of the opioid related ED visits and may become an integral part of the overall Syndromic Surveillance strategy to inform prescribers, pharmacists and first responders. Linking ESSENCE emergency department data to other data sources may have the potential to enhance real-time opioid emergency department data surveillance.