Local Public Health Surveillance of Heroin-Related Morbidity and Mortality, Orange County, Florida, 2010-2014

Heroin-related deaths have increased substantially in the past 10 years in the United States, particularly in Florida. Our objectives were to measure heroin-related morbidity and mortality rates in Orange County, Florida, and to assess trends in those rates during 2010-2014.

We used 3 heroin surveillance methods, based on data from the Florida Medical Examiner, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), and the Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-Based Epidemics-Florida (ESSENCE-FL). We conducted descriptive and geographic spatial analyses of all 3 data sets, determined heroin-related mortality and morbidity (emergency department [ED] visit) rates, and compared the timeliness of data availability from the 3 data sources.

Heroin-related deaths in Orange County increased by 590%, from 10 in 2010 to 69 in 2014. Heroin-related ED visits during the same period increased 12-fold (from 13 to 154) and 6-fold (from 49 to 307) when based on AHCA and ESSENCE-FL data, respectively. ESSENCE-FL identified 140% more heroin-related visits than did AHCA. Spatial analysis found geographic clustering of heroin-related morbidity and mortality. Hospitals facing the greatest burden of heroin-related ED visits were close to communities with the highest crude heroin-related ED visit rates. Of the 3 data sources, ESSENCE-FL provided the timeliest data availability.

These 3 data sources can be considered acceptable surveillance systems for monitoring heroin-related events in Orange County. The timely availability of data from ESSENCE-FL makes it the most useful source for obtaining near-real-time data about the heroin epidemic, potentially leading to improved identification of populations most in need of interventions to reduce morbidity and mortality.