Mapping opioid mortality rates across treatment capacity to identify need and access

Authors

• Garrett K. Wong, VCU School of Medicine
• Justin R. Chang, VCU School of MedicineFollow
• Chase Greco, VCU Department of Computer Science
• Yadunandan Pillai, VCU Department of Computer Science
• Mohammad A. Shahrezaei, VCU Department of Computer Science
• Melissa H. Burton, VCU Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Care
• Rob Lawrence, Richmond Ambulance Authority
• Alan Dow, VCU Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Care

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Abstract

Background: The opioid and heroin overdose epidemic is a public health emergency in the state of Virginia, resulting in the death of more than 1,100 people in 2016. In order to overcome this epidemic, we need to match the places with the greatest need for services related to substance use disorders with the appropriate healthcare workforce.

Aims: As the data about the overdose outbreak and related socioeconomic factors grow in size and complexity, data scientists have attempted to utilize big data techniques to identify communities and risk factors contributing to addiction.

Methods: Using data obtained from the Virginia Department of Health and U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, we overlaid county-level opioid mortality rates with the current locations of treatment facilities.

Results: Areas with fewer numbers of treatment centers were associated with higher overdose mortality rates.

Conclusions: There was an apparent mismatch in 2016 between overdose deaths and treatment capacity. To understand this mismatch, future directions include interprofessional collaborative efforts among community health workers, substance abuse specialists, and health professionals via models such as the TeleECHO clinic to both identify and address economic, workforce, and leadership factors implicated in the establishment and maintenance of substance abuse treatment facilities in high-need areas. Doing so can provide insight for improving access to care and addressing elevated opioid mortality rates.

Publication Date

2018

Keywords

opioid, overdose epidemic, interprofessional collaboration, data science, dynamic heat map, real-time surveillance, machine learning, predictive model

Disciplines

Computer Sciences | Data Science | Epidemiology | Health Information Technology | Interprofessional Education | Public Health | Telemedicine

Faculty Advisor/Mentor

Dr. Alan Dow

Is Part Of

VCU Graduate Research Posters