The creation of a public-facing opioid data dashboard Open Access
Baer, Caroline Elise (Spring 2021)
Published
Abstract
Introduction: Public-facing data dashboards are becoming ubiquitous for sharing public health data with a wide audience and providing greater data transparency for stakeholders. Such dashboards have become critical to disseminate the many dynamic data sources that epidemiologists use to understand the scope of the opioid problem. Despite a growing opioid epidemic, the state of Georgia does not currently have a public-facing dashboard to disseminate data on the local opioid burden and response.
Methods: This work was conducted as formative research for the development of a public dashboard of opioid use data in Georgia. Literature review informed the process of developing a dashboard. In order to identify features for inclusion and best practices for our dashboard, a review was conducted of existing state opioid dashboards across the US. Interviews were conducted with experts to determine, for each data source, indicators to be displayed. The suitability of each data source for the dashboard, as well as the platform to build the dashboard, was also assessed during the interview process.
Results: Our review of US state opioid dashboards identified five key considerations for dashboard development: ease of access, description of the data sources, customizability of the visualizations, colorful and visually attractive features, and availability of multiple maps. It was determined through expert focus groups that the dashboard should show data at the county level, unless the values were too small and required censure due to data sharing agreements. The expert data source interviews yielded that SUDORS, PDMP, vital records, and EMS and emergency department data should be included in the opioid dashboard. It was determined that Syndromic Surveillance would not be included since the data could be confusing without more context that the dashboard was unable to provide. Privacy was an essential consideration throughout the development of the dashboard as many of the data handle protected health information around the sensitive topic of drug-related harms and overdoses. ESRI ArcGIS online was chosen as the platform because of an existing contract with this company, and ease of use and updating. A mock-up of the dashboard was completed in February of 2021
Conclusion: We expand the literature on opioid dashboards so that other stakeholders can draw on our experiences in the development of their own dashboards. The quality of data on the opioid epidemic should be improved overall and more public-private partnerships should be established to share resources and combine efforts in combating the epidemic. Public dashboard development for health data must be guided by a combination of functionality for end users and pragmatism of implementation for state health authorities.
Table of Contents
Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................4
The creation of a public-facing opioid data dashboard ...................................................................4
Introduction .....................................................................................................................................8
Literature Review ..........................................................................................................................10
The History of the Opioid Epidemic in the United States....................................................10
Reliance on Data in the Opioid Epidemic..............................................................................11
The Opioid Epidemic in Georgia............................................................................................12
Opioid Dashboard Literature.........................................................................................................13 Methods.........................................................................................................................................16
Results ...........................................................................................................................................20
Review of other dashboards..................................................................................................20
Data source expert interviews...............................................................................................25
Privacy in Data Sources........................................................................................................29
Choosing a software platform for the dashboard ....................................................................32 Discussion......................................................................................................................................33
Conclusion and Public Health Recommendations ........................................................................37
Appendix 1 ....................................................................................................................................40
Appendix 2 ....................................................................................................................................40
References .....................................................................................................................................42
About this Master's Thesis
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