The Geography of Opioid Use Disorder: A Data Triangulation Approach

Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2020 Sep;34(3):451-464. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2020.06.006.

Abstract

Opioid use disorder is complex and not easily quantified among US populations because there are no dedicated reporting systems in place. We review indicators of opioid use disorder available at the state and county (human immunodeficiency virus diagnoses among people who inject drugs, hepatitis C diagnosis in people <50 years, opioid overdose death rates, and opioid prescription rate). The interpretation of the ecological results and the visualization of indicators at the local level will provide actionable insights for clinicians and public health officials seeking to mitigate the consequences of opioid use disorder at the patient and community levels.

Keywords: Data triangulation; HCV diagnosis; HIV diagnosis in PWID; Indicators; Opioid overdose death rate; Opioid prescription rate; Opioid use disorder; Opioid use epidemic.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Analgesics, Opioid / adverse effects*
  • Drug Prescriptions / statistics & numerical data*
  • Geography
  • HIV Infections / diagnosis*
  • HIV Infections / etiology
  • Hepatitis C / diagnosis*
  • Hepatitis C / etiology
  • Humans
  • Opiate Overdose / complications*
  • Opiate Overdose / mortality
  • Opioid-Related Disorders / complications*
  • Opioid-Related Disorders / mortality
  • Public Health

Substances

  • Analgesics, Opioid