White House Launches National Non-fatal Opioid Overdose Dashboard

As part of its commitment to reversing the tide in fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), in partnership with State EMS Offices and NHTSA, has launched a real-time dashboard illustrating EMS responses to non-fatal opioid overdoses. 

The HIPAA-compliant dashboard uses state-submitted, de-identified data from the National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) to allow local agencies to track EMS activations for non-fatal overdoses at the state and county levels. It also provides a better understanding of the need for and effectiveness of public health interventions like naloxone administration.

In a press release, the ONDCP states, “At a time when a non-fatal overdose is a leading predictor for a future fatal overdose, widespread access to this data will help first responders on the frontlines of the overdose epidemic target life-saving interventions such as the overdose-reversal medication naloxone.”

The dashboard allows communities to compare non-fatal overdose measures in their area to national averages in four categories: 

• Population rate of non-fatal opioid overdose in a community
• Average number of naloxone administrations per patient
• Average EMS time in transit to reach an overdose patient
• Percentage of non-fatal opioid overdose patients not transported to a medical facility

Additional features expected in 2023 include surveillance of non-fatal overdose events, demographic impact, patient outcomes and leading clinical measures.

The dashboard uses EMS agency data to provide communities with a more complete picture of the situation in their area in order to better address and respond to the ongoing opioid epidemic. The information collected can also be used to inform service providers as they connect people to life-saving treatment for substance use disorder. In addition to helping communities across the country, the data will assist local, state, and federal agencies in better understanding the challenges EMS agencies encounter daily in responding to the opioid epidemic.

The dashboard can be viewed at https://nemsis.org/opioid-overdose-tracker/