Using Publicly Available Data to Understand the Opioid Overdose Epidemic: Geospatial Distribution of Discarded Needles in Boston, Massachusetts

Abstract

Publicly reported data can help identify hot spots of discarded needles and examine indicators of spatial association. In Boston, the number of discarded needles being reported is rising, with the highest density of needles found in 2 central neighborhoods with several outlying hot spots. Most needles were found near areas associated with social stress and substance use disorder. Public Health Implications. This analysis represents a novel way of leveraging publicly available information to target community responses to the opioid epidemic. Identifying hot spots of discarded needles may enable public health organizations to target future efforts to encourage safer needle disposal practices and reduce public injection drug use.

Suspected heroin-related overdoses incidents in Cincinnati, Ohio: A spatiotemporal analysis

“…In most cases, states and emergency medical service (EMS) agencies have time limits within which patient care records must be submitted (24–72 hours), offering more timely information about suspected overdoses. EMS dispatch datasets usually also have high spatial resolution, with global positioning system (GPS) locations or addresses in the call records, making them a valuable resource for understanding when and where each overdose incident happens [19] and for developing opioid use harm-reduction programs [20]. Recently, Carter and colleagues [21] compared spatial concentration of EMS calls, opioid overdose deaths, and crimes in Marion County, Indiana, in order to guide police interventions.…”

311 service requests as indicators of neighborhood distress and opioid use disorder

“…The national overdose death rate surged 38% between 2012 and 2015, despite a 13% drop in the outpatient opioid analgesic prescriptions during those years 6 . There has also been a shift to illicit opioids like heroin and fentanyl 7 ; however, the prescription and illicit sources still do not fully explain the dynamic and spatial heterogeneity of the opioid epidemic in regions and communities 8,9 .…”

Toward Data Sense-Making in Digital Health Communication Research: Why Theory Matters in the Age of Big Data

“…For instance, in analyzing proximity to key features (e.g., hospitals, services), a common technique is buffer analysis, which allows researchers to create artificial boundaries around the features of interests and count how many data points (e.g., mobility patterns) are within the artificial boundaries (ArcMap, 2019). For instance, research in understanding opioid overdose has used buffer analysis to identify the total number of discarded needles in in a given area (Bearnot et al, 2018). The selection of such boundaries for buffer analysis is inherently subjective, and the assumptions of such selection would need to be supported theoretically.…”