Reducing Opioid Related Deaths for individuals who are at high risk of death from overdose on release from prison and within the homeless hostels for drug users; an issue further complicated by the impacts of COVID-19

Campbell, Anne, Millen, Sharon, Jordan, Uisce, Guo, Li, Taylor-Beswick, Amanda ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6320-5618 and Diamond, Aisling (2022) Reducing Opioid Related Deaths for individuals who are at high risk of death from overdose on release from prison and within the homeless hostels for drug users; an issue further complicated by the impacts of COVID-19.

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Abstract

Background: Deaths involving heroin, morphine and cocaine were the highest on record in Northern Ireland in 2019. Figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) indicate that 191 people died were recorded as drug related deaths in 2019 with just over half (95) males aged 25-44 (NISRA, 2020). Opioid users from the homeless population and those who are recently released from prison are considered high risk from an opioid overdose (REF).

Methods/Design: This feasibility study was designed to work co-productively with opioid users, to test the practicality of wearing a wearable device and to investigate whether the data captured on a Wearables device, designed to detect signs of a drug overdose, could be successfully transferred from the device to a backend cloud service. The study encompassed four focus groups in total, three with opioid users and one with workers.

Discussion: Qualitative data indicated that the target population would welcome such a device and provided a range of views and ideas regarding the refinement of the design. The provision of information regarding the specific functionality of the device was considered key and could be disseminated via front line services. From the data obtained from the wearables devices, it was concluded that it was feasible to use a consumable wearable device for monitoring opioid users’ biomarkers remotely. The data acquisition and transfer process would not be a barrier for future research.

Item Type:	Report
Departments:	Professional Services > Vice Chancellor's Office
Depositing User:	Anna Lupton
Date Deposited:	21 May 2024 08:45
Last Modified:	21 May 2024 08:45
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/7692

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