New APH opioid dashboard shows data on overdoses, deaths

AUSTIN, Texas – Austin Public Health (APH) has published a new dashboard to help community members access and view data on opioid overdoses. 

The dashboard is part of an ongoing effort by APH to prevent new overdoses and deaths from opioids.

“By giving the public facts about the number of opioid overdoses in our community as well as the distribution of Naloxone and Narcan, we can raise awareness of how opioid overdoses are ravaging our families, friends, neighbors and loved ones, hopefully leading to greater action to help prevent overdoses,” said Austin-Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes.

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The dashboard came to be after the Austin City Council passed a resolution and APH held meetings with various stakeholders, community partners, consultants and departments within the City.

The dashboard covers opioid overdose data in Austin and Travis County, including:

• Non-fatal overdoses
• Non-fatal overdose hospitalizations
• Fatal overdoses
• Naloxone/Narcan distribution from ATCEMS, Austin Public Health, and Travis County Health and Human Services
• Naloxone/Narcan administration, as reported by ATCEMS
• Numbers of patients treated in the Buprenorphine Bridge Program (BBP)

The data represented in the dashboard is gathered from sources including: 

• ATCEMS 
• Texas Syndromic Surveillance (TxS2)
• Texas Hospital Inpatient Discharge Public Use Data File from Texas Department of State Health Services
• Travis County Health and Human Services
• Travis County Medical Examiner

To learn more about how you can recognize and prevent opioid overdoses, click here.