Public health reports
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Public health reports · Jul 2017
Use of Emergency Department Data to Monitor and Respond to an Increase in Opioid Overdoses in New Hampshire, 2011-2015.
Opioid-related overdoses and deaths in New Hampshire have increased substantially in recent years, similar to increases observed across the United States. We queried emergency department (ED) data in New Hampshire to monitor opioid-related ED encounters as part of the public health response to this health problem. ⋯ Opioid-related ED encounters in New Hampshire increased substantially from 2011 to 2015. Data from New Hampshire's ED syndromic surveillance system provided timely situational awareness to public health partners to support the overall response to the opioid epidemic.
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Public health reports · May 2017
Evaluation of Diagnostic Codes in Morbidity and Mortality Data Sources for Heat-Related Illness Surveillance.
The primary objective of this study was to identify patients with heat-related illness (HRI) using codes for heat-related injury diagnosis and external cause of injury in 3 administrative data sets: emergency department (ED) visit records, hospital discharge records, and death certificates. ⋯ Using multiple data sources and all diagnosis fields may improve the sensitivity of HRI surveillance. Future studies should evaluate the impact of converting ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM codes on HRI surveillance of ED visits and hospitalizations.
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Public health reports · May 2017
Estimating Demand for and Supply of Pediatric Preventive Dental Care for Children and Identifying Dental Care Shortage Areas, Georgia, 2015.
Demand for dental care is expected to outpace supply through 2025. The objectives of this study were to determine the extent of pediatric dental care shortages in Georgia and to develop a general method for estimation that can be applied to other states. ⋯ Age- and service-specific information on dental care shortage areas could result in more efficient provider staffing and geographic targeting.