The Oklahoma State Department of Health Injury Prevention Service (IPS) has designed, implemented, and evaluated a variety of injury prevention programs and surveillance systems since 1987. Recognized as the lead organization for injury prevention activities in Oklahoma, the IPS has demonstrated a commitment to translating injury surveillance data into prevention programs and evaluation. The IPS has an established history of collaboration with many partners to address drug overdoses, such as the state prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) authority, public safety, harm reduction, healthcare providers, academic institutions, community organizations, and the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The IPS has access to multiple data sources, including PDMP, hospital emergency department and inpatient discharge, vital statistics, and medical examiner data and maintains several surveillance systems.
To continue addressing the drug overdose crisis with comprehensive surveillance and evidence-based prevention strategies, the IPS applied for Strategies 1-3 (morbidity and mortality surveillance, along with infrastructure improvements) and 6-9 (engaging clinicians and health systems; enhancing the PDMP; advancing public safety partnerships and interventions; promoting harm reduction; and building community-based linkages to care), as well as the optional and competitive Strategy 5.
Through the Oklahoma Overdose Data to Action Surveillance and Prevention Program, the IPS aims to reduce overdose morbidity and mortality by using enhanced surveillance strategies to track overdoses and emerging threats to remain agile to respond to changing trends and state-specific deviations from national trends. Utilizing an ever-improving surveillance infrastructure that connects health outcome data with data on community characteristics and social determinants of health, the IPS will examine data to identify disproportionately affected populations and locations and target prevention interventions and services that are rooted in health equity principles. Widely disseminated surveillance findings and diverse partnerships will guide the implementation of culturally-relevant strategies to improve linkages to care; increase use of harm reduction services; expand capacity across various sectors to serve the underserved in evidence-based, trauma-informed ways; and reduce stigma and disparities to ensure equitable delivery of prevention services.
The long-term outcomes impacted by this work will include targeted improvements among populations disproportionately affected by overdose and underserved by prevention programs and the healthcare system, including decreased drug overdose mortality and morbidity rates, decreased illicit opioid and stimulant use, increased uptake of treatment and retention in care, improved health equity, and decreased stigma.
Short- and intermediate-term outcomes include more timely, comprehensive, and actionable surveillance data; increased data dissemination; increased data sharing and availability; increased clinician awareness of prescribing practices and evidence-based pain management practices; increased clinician expertise to provide equitable care for opioid use disorder and stimulant use disorder; increased collaboration, coordination, and communication among partners; increased use of navigators to link people who use drugs to care and services across various settings; increased access to harm reduction education and services, including distribution of naloxone; and reduced health disparities related to accessing and receiving care.
All objectives and activities of the Oklahoma Overdose Data to Action Surveillance and Prevention Program will be evaluated. Continuous program improvements will be made and lessons learned will be translated into reproducible, evidence-based prevention models.