Live Presentation
Speak with Emilia Krzeminska about her practicum on January 31st from 4:45-5:15pm via this .
Video Presentation
View Emilia Krzeminska's poster presentation in this video recording:Â
Abstract
The opioid crisis is a major public health threat in Canada. The burden of substance-related harms continues to rise, especially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal government has committed to support harm reduction, prevention, and treatment efforts in combatting this crisis. Public health surveillance is a necessary component of this response, providing essential data to develop a national picture and support intervention initiatives. While data on substance-related deaths, hospitalizations, and emergency medical services encounters are captured via national surveillance, emergency department (ED) data are an underutilized source that could greatly benefit future action. Â
To determine potential approaches to national ED surveillance of substance-related harms, two data sources were considered: an environmental scan of existing international, national, and sub-national ED data sources and a survey sent to national and provincial/territorial stakeholders. The results of these processes were used to describe the current state of ED data, characterize stakeholder needs, and develop several surveillance options.Â
While many regions around the world and within Canada conduct ED-based surveillance, the purposes, coverage levels, and data collected vary immensely. Of the 19 systems examined, 58% served an administrative purpose, while only three systems were specific to substance-related harms. As such, contextual information surrounding substance-related harms, such as the substances involved, the mode of consumption, and the intent of the harm were rarely captured. Â
The stakeholder survey gave rise to three key needs of an ED surveillance system: establishing a national baseline, detecting outbreaks in substance-related harm events, and understanding the substances involved—along with other contextual information about the event, such as the mode of substance consumption and intent of the harm. Â
Several possible approaches to ED surveillance of substance-related harms are proposed, based on the results of the environmental scan and stakeholder input. Work is ongoing to determine precise methodology for each approach, balancing stakeholder needs with feasibility and resource availability to determine a final recommendation. Given the worsening state of the substance use crisis in Canada and the immense potential of ED data in informing prevention and harm reduction efforts, pursuing national ED-based surveillance should be a priority. Â