Surveys Aren’t Catching the Data
Researchers from the University of Illinois-Chicago found that surveys that are administered to patients are not accurately detecting the risk of medication poisoning. The findings, published in the Journal Clinical Toxicology, revealed the surveys overlook this risk by 60 to 90 percent.
A Scary Truth
In recent years, medication overdoses, especially from opioids, have become incredibly common. Between 2001 and 2013, opioid overdoses have tripled, reaching 16,000 deaths. The mortality rate associated with overdoses is higher than traffic fatalities and gun-related deaths. Overdose rates are higher among women than men. Approximately 48,000 women died of prescription painkiller overdoses between 1999 and 2010. The most common medications that people overdose on are Vicodin, methadone, OxyContin and Opana.
The researchers made their discoveries by looking through patient demographics, medical and billing records, and what the results of admittance for poisoning were. They also studied a few surveys, including the National Health Interview Survey, the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System and the National Hospital Discharge Survey.
“Approximately 48,000 women died of prescription painkiller overdoses between 1999 and 2010.”
They found that health care costs related to dealing with overdoses were almost $8 million. More than half of the poisonings were because of substance abuse. Aside from treatment, costs can also be attributed to the length of stay. Many patients stayed in the hospital for at least five days. The majority of the poisonings were due to opioids, alcohol or other types of illicit drugs. While some of the overdoses were accidental, many of them were because of dependence and abuse. The death rate of people who came to the outpatient portion of the emergency room was lower than those who were inpatients. Overall, the mortality rates of poisonings were still low overall, as well as the number of patients who intentionally tried to overdose.
What’s in a Poison?
Yet despite these low numbers, researchers were concerned by the national surveys, finding they let many possible poisonings slip through the cracks. Some of the national surveys are based on patient self-reporting, and study authors noted that errors may be creeping in through these surveys because people do not understand the term “poisoning” on the surveys. Furthermore, the definition for poisoning on these surveys doesn’t include overdoses from alcohol and illicit and prescription drug use.
“The actual burden related to poisoning, to hospitals and society, is actually much higher than previously thought,” said lead author Lee Friedman, Ph.D.
Comparing the Illinois hospital data to the results of national health surveys, the researchers found that the surveys missed a significant number of poisoning cases. – University of Illinois at Chicago
Common Mistake Leads to Large Underestimation
Friedman believes the poisoning language oversight on surveys is common because other states, that like Illinois, may not have expected to deal with so many patients experiencing overdoses. That is why it is important to recreate these national surveys to accommodate a more inclusive definition of poisonings, one that mentions alcohol use, drug use, and opioid use. 
The oversight is egregious enough that researchers concluded the need for a public health campaign on thematter. In the past, several campaigns on the dangers of tobacco and drinking have been effective. So, it may be time to turn advocacy toward the dangers of substance abuse and overdoses. The study authors also noted that there should be more encouragement of using poison control hotlines. While some overdoses may be in dire need of medical attention, others may be remedied through a simple phone call, which can lower health care costs nationwide.
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