Record linkage studies of drug-related deaths among adults who were released from prison to the community: a scoping review

Abstract

Background There are public health concerns about an increased risk of mortality after release from prison. The objectives of this scoping review were to investigate, map and summarise evidence from record linkage studies about drug-related deaths among former adult prisoners. Methods MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO and Web of Science were searched for studies (January 2011- September 2021) using keywords/index headings. Two authors independently screened all titles and abstracts using inclusion and exclusion criteria and subsequently screened full publications. Discrepancies were discussed with a third author. One author extracted data from all included publications using a data charting form. A second author independently extracted data from approximately one-third of the publications. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel sheets and cleaned for analysis. Standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) were pooled (where possible) using a random-effects DerSimonian-Laird model in STATA. Results A total of 3680 publications were screened by title and abstract, and 109 publications were fully screened; 45 publications were included. The pooled drug-related SMR was 27.07 (95%CI 13.32- 55.02; I 2 = 93.99%) for the first two weeks (4 studies), 10.17 (95%CI 3.74–27.66; I 2 = 83.83%) for the first 3–4 weeks (3 studies) and 15.58 (95%CI 7.05–34.40; I 2 = 97.99%) for the first 1 year after release (3 studies) and 6.99 (95%CI 4.13–11.83; I 2 = 99.14%) for any time after release (5 studies). However, the estimates varied markedly between studies. There was considerable heterogeneity in terms of study design, study size, location, methodology and findings. Only four studies reported the use of a quality assessment checklist/technique. Conclusions This scoping review found an increased risk of drug-related death after release from prison, particularly during the first two weeks after release, though drug-related mortality risk remained elevated for the first year among former prisoners. Evidence synthesis was limited as only a small number of studies were suitable for pooled analyses for SMRs due to inconsistencies in study design and methodology.

Creating an 11-year longitudinal substance use harm cohort from linked health and census data to analyze social drivers of health

“…This makes the cohort population younger and healthier than the Canadian population. Substance use harm events occurring in correctional settings and following release are well documented and particularly prevalent immediately following release, [36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45] when many individuals are without an address or are residing in a group home so are not likely to be included with CanCHEC data. A recent scoping review also suggests that prescription misuse is a growing concern among older adults in Canada, 46 suggesting that harm events in nursing homes may also be missed in the CanCHEC data.…”

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

“…Some of these touchpoints have been previously recognized as opportunities for delivering prevention services [25,46,47]. For example, the time window following a prison release has been identified as a particularly critical and risky period, making this touchpoint a highly specific and valuable opportunity for administering prevention services [48][49][50]. However, effectively sharing these data insights with OFRs remains a challenge.…”

Record linkage studies of primary care utilisation after release from prison: A scoping review protocol

“…Among a cohort of men released from prison (with histories of injecting drug use), a prospective study reported high levels of unemployment, homelessness, physical and mental health morbidities, and illicit substance use during the two year follow up period [12]. Following the release from prison, individuals are at a higher risk of morbidity and mortality [13][14][15][16]. A recent scoping review (2011-2021) found that former prisoners have an increased risk of drug-related death during the first year after release from prison, with this risk particularly elevated in the first two weeks post-release [16].…”

“…Following the release from prison, individuals are at a higher risk of morbidity and mortality [13][14][15][16]. A recent scoping review (2011-2021) found that former prisoners have an increased risk of drug-related death during the first year after release from prison, with this risk particularly elevated in the first two weeks post-release [16]. Increasingly, research findings are pointing to an increased risk of hospitalisation after prison release.…”