Grant: Operating Grant: Opioid Crisis Knowledge Synthesis

North America is in the midst of a public health crisis due to alarming rates of opioid-related overdoses, which is currently one of the top reasons for mortality among young and middle-aged people. In response, scientists are increasingly using technology to find new solutions to tackle this crisis. But a question that need to be answered first is "In each of the four main parts in Canadian national strategy for responding to this crisis, what types of e-health interventions can potentially decrease deaths due to opioid overdose, and in which sub-populations and settings, to what extent, and over what period of time?" Rapid realist review, the method used in this study, is the ideal method to answer these types of questions within a short period of time. This method explores the literature to answer the key questions of decision-makers and validates the findings with experts in the area. The study will generate a list of recommendations for future developments in the field of e-health that can decrease deaths due to overdose while considering variations in main objectives (i.e., prevention, treatment, reducing harms or legal enforcement), type of interventions, settings, and timeframe for measuring their results. The review team includes decision-makers, and recognized scientists in the field of substance use, health-related technology, and knowledge synthesis. We will host an event at the end of the study to explain the findings of this review to the representatives of key organizations, and connect them with software developers who are capable of developing necessary solutions based on our recommendations.