Real-Time Dashboard for Identifying Overdose Touchpoints in Indiana.

Indiana state government partnered with researchers to develop a real-time dashboard that brings together multiple data sources to provide state and county-level measures around overdose touchpoints, which are settings that people engaged with prior to fatal overdose. Exploration of the dashboard reveals multiple opportunities for overdose prevention and highlights its use as a tool to monitor strategies in reducing overdose deaths.

Development of a Real-Time Dashboard for Overdose Touchpoints: User-Centered Design Approach.

Background: Overdose Fatality Review (OFR) is an important public health tool for shaping overdose prevention strategies in communities. However, OFR teams review only a few cases at a time, which typically represent a small fraction of the total fatalities in their jurisdiction. Such limited review could result in a partial understanding of local overdose patterns, leading to policy recommendations that do not fully address the broader community needs.

Antecedents of fatal overdose in an adult cohort identified through administrative record linkage in Indiana, 2015-2022.

Background: The United States continues to experience unprecedented rates of overdose mortality and need to identify effective policies or practices that can be implemented. This study aims to measure the prevalence, frequency, timing, and rate of touchpoints that occurred prior to a fatal overdose where communities might intervene.

Methods: In collaboration with Indiana state government, we conducted record-linkage of statewide administrative datasets to vital records (January 1, 2015, through August 26, 2022) to identify touchpoints (jail booking, prison release, prescription medication dispensation, emergency department visits, and emergency medical services).