Enhancing research data infrastructure to address the opioid epidemic: the Opioid Overdose Network (O2-Net)

Area of Science:

• * Clinical informatics
• * Public health research
• * Translational science

Background:

• * Adapting the Accrual to Clinical Trials (ACT) Network to support clinical trial design for opioid overdose survivors presenting to emergency departments (EDs).
• * Four institutions collaborated to generalize and adapt the existing ACT research data network.

Observation:

• * Key activities included cloning and extending the ACT infrastructure.
• * Development focused on an electronic phenotype, registry, portable natural language processing tools, and automated documentation templates.
• * The project aimed to enhance data capture and network capabilities for opioid overdose research.

Findings:

• * Tailoring multipurpose federated research networks for specific tasks is feasible.
• * Significant coordination and new tool development are necessary for subnetwork enhancement.
• * An initial output is a decision support tool for take-home naloxone prescription in the ED.

Implications:

• * Demonstrates the feasibility of adapting existing research networks for specialized public health initiatives.
• * Highlights the need for robust infrastructure and collaborative efforts in managing complex health data.
• * The developed decision support tool has the potential to improve post-overdose care and reduce readmissions.