PI: Shikhar Shrestha, PhD, Thomas Stopka, PhD, and Jennifer Pustz, PhD
Amount: $475,521
Timeline: Feb. 2022 - Feb. 2024
Area: Policy Initiatives and Public Awareness
Cohort: Innovation
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Syndromic Surveillance of the Opioid Crisis in Lowell, Massachusetts: Data to Action and Evaluation

The current surveillance systems for monitoring and reporting opioid overdose rates are slow and unable to respond quickly when fentanyl and other contaminants enter local drug supplies and cause surges in overdose rates. This project will test a new, rapid approach to detecting opioid-related incidents using EMS and public health data in Lowell, Mass. The goal is to alert public health and other community stakeholders if rates are rising so they can take action to head off surges. If successful, the project could serve as a foundation on which to create a large-scale surveillance system.