Timescale
6 Months
Territory
Paterson, New Jersey
The Challenge
Like many U.S cities struggling with an opioid epidemic, Paterson has made the issue a top priority and is working to:
- Develop data-informed strategies to provide near-real-time analysis of overdoses as they are experienced on the ground
- Increase residents’ awareness of medical services available for opioid addiction
- Inform individuals and local practitioners of updated science and data-driven approaches to treatment; those in need of treatment can better advocate for their needs and practitioners can better serve patients
Our Solution
We joined forces with DA.Digital and the City of Paterson’s Paterson Coalition for Opioid Assessment and Response (COAR) built an information hub, also known as the COAR hub.
The new digital tool aims to increase data transparency and residents’ awareness of:
1) the status of the opioid crisis in the City,
2) helpful resources on recovery pathways and harm reduction services from healthcare agencies.
In particular, COAR seeks to educate residents about the Medication- Assisted- Treatments available to opioid victims, its benefits and availability in the City.
The COAR hub visualizes data of suspected opioid overdoses in the City, as well as similar data obtained from Paterson EMS reports. These data are automatically updated in near-real time and support the City in drawing critical staff decisions.
Solution Features
- Real-time automated data feed
- Heat mapping & advanced analytics to triage opioid cases
- Dynamic Content Management System
- Smart Search
- Multi-language support
COAR publishes policy decisions on a quarterly basis to the hub, and provides a channel to gather feedback from the public. The hub also invites organizations to offer support in combating the opioid epidemic.
The reports and analyses generated by the tool are discussed during monthly COAR meetings to inform interventions. The City found that 20 percent of all overdoses occur across a mere 2 percent of its area.
Based on this information, the City has focused on providing pro-Medically-Assisted-Treatment (MAT) outreach along corridors that have this outsized incidence rate. MAT can not only provide a pathway to more sustainable recovery, but certain types of MAT can eliminate the body’s possibility of overdose on other opiates, including fentanyl.
The City also changed their language and outreach strategies to encourage individuals to follow up on their medical check ups after an overdose, while maintaining HIPPA compliance.
On August 10th 2022, the COAR hub became the City’s first ever data sharing website that educates the public about the opioid epidemic in Paterson, and calls organizations to join in the fight against opioid addiction. It is now the source of truth to Paterson’s opioid epidemic and reduces misinformation on the City’s fight against it.
