Grant: Project Grant

The research project aims to address the significant impact of the toxic drug crisis in Canada, where 21 Canadians die every day from opioid-related poisoning. Emergency Departments are critical access points for individuals who use drugs, yet the care provided to these individuals is often variable and lacks evidence-based standards. The project's objectives are to establish a pan-Canadian registry of Emergency Department patients presenting with opioid poisoning, harmonize data collection across participating sites, describe variations in patient characteristics, clinical practice and outcomes, and derive a clinical decision rule to predict the risk of dying within 60 days. The research team comprises experts in various fields, including emergency and addictions medicine, biostatistics, and knowledge mobilization. Importantly, individuals with lived/living experience and their families have been involved in developing the proposal and will continue to contribute throughout the study. The expected outcomes include advancing healthcare delivery, improving patient and provider experiences, and enhancing population health and health system sustainability for individuals with opioid poisoning. This research is crucial for addressing the opioid crisis in Canada and has the potential to significantly impact patient care and outcomes.