Using data and analytics to confront the opioid epidemic

The opioid epidemic is a complex and multifaceted issue that refers to the widespread and devastating increase in substance misuse, addiction, and overdose deaths that have occurred in many countries, including the United States, over the past few decades. Opioids are a class of drugs that include prescription painkillers such as oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone, and fentanyl, as well as illegal substances like heroin. In 2022, there were nearly 110,000 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. involving an opioid, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Experts at Egen created a solution that enables public sector and health care stakeholders to make, data-informed decisions in their efforts to combat the opioid crisis. Drawing on deep experience in data engineering, data mining, data science, data analytics, and data visualizations, the Egen solution offers a dashboard to analyze and monitor the epidemic, identify affected demographics, support interventions, and assess the efficiency of the health care infrastructure to respond to the epidemic. By centralizing and analyzing data from multiple sources, the solution provides a comprehensive picture of the services being provided, who is accessing services, and what interventions are proving to be most effective. The solution provides valuable insights while ensuring ethical data practices and upholding the highest standards of data integrity and privacy.

Egen Opioid epidemic solution dashboard snapshot

By harnessing the power of data and analytics, this solution contributes to a more comprehensive and targeted approach to addressing the opioid epidemic.

1. Data analytics and visualization: Using advanced analytics and visualization tools, the solution analyzes large datasets related to opioid prescriptions, addiction rates, overdose incidents, and other relevant information. By identifying patterns and trends, it provides valuable insights to health care providers, policymakers, and law enforcement agencies. This data-driven approach helps in understanding the scope of the problem and developing targeted interventions.
2. Prescription drug monitoring programs: The solution assists in the development and management of prescription-drug monitoring programs, which are state-run databases that track controlled substance prescriptions. These programs help identify people who may be “doctor shopping” (obtaining multiple prescriptions from different doctors) or engaging in other suspicious activities related to opioid prescriptions. Together, public sector and health care organizations are helping to streamline the collection, analysis, and sharing of data within these programs to support more effective drug monitoring and enforcement.
3. Predictive analytics and risk scoring: By analyzing historical data and patterns, and using predictive analytics the solution can identify individuals at high risk of opioid misuse or addiction. It can also help identify geographic regions or communities that are at a higher risk of opioid-related problems. This enables the  health care providers to proactively intervene, implement appropriate interventions, and allocate resources more effectively.
4. Data sharing and collaboration: By facilitating the sharing of data and collaboration between different stakeholders in public sector and health care organizations, the solution enables them to share insights, coordinate efforts, and develop evidence-based strategies to combat the opioid epidemic.
5. Monitoring and alerts: With the development of data streams, the solution can provide immediate alerts and situational awareness to public health officials and first responders, so they can quickly respond to emerging threats or spikes in opioid-related incidents.
6. Treatment and recovery support: With the development of digital health solutions and telemedicine platforms, stakeholders can leverage data to personalize treatment plans, track patient progress, provide educational resources, and connect people to support networks.

Egen is capitalizing on data and analytics enabled through technology to help public sector and health care organizations confront the opioid epidemic. By mining, analyzing, and visualizing large datasets, we provide valuable insights to health care providers, policymakers, and law enforcement agencies. We assist in developing prescription-drug monitoring programs, employ predictive analytics for risk identification, facilitate data sharing and collaboration, and enable monitoring and alerts. Additionally, we contribute to the development of digital health solutions for treatment and recovery support. By using data-driven strategies, Egen helps to identify at-risk people, prevent addiction, and improve treatment outcomes. Egen is committed to ethical data practices, and prioritizes the responsible handling of sensitive data, ensuring privacy, confidentiality, and strict adherence to data governance protocols.

To learn more about the Egen opioid epidemic solution and schedule a demo, contact us at [email protected]

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