Drug Abuse Warning Network: Development of a New Design. Methodology Report

摘要

The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) is an important source of national and local information on substance abuse. This information is derived from data on visits to hospital emergency departments (EDs) and drug-related deaths reviewed by medical examiners and coroners (ME/Cs). DAWN collects data on the demographic characteristics of substance abusers and the specific drugs involved in each drug-related ED visit or death. Defining the purpose(s) of DAWN was central to redesigning the system. The Office of Applied Studies (OAS), a component of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), undertook the comprehensive two-year evaluation of DAWN. This evaluation resulted in recommendations for a new design for DAWN. Using a wide range of study methods, the evaluation addressed the following questions: Who are the users of DAWN data and what information do they need; Does DAWN collect data from the right settings; Does DAWN collect data on the right set of patients; Does DAWN collect the right data on those patients; How can DAWN use technology to collect data more efficiently; and How can DAWN deliver information more effectively. These questions challenged the fundamental approaches long used by this survey. This publication presents some of the findings used to improve DAWN's design, guided by these important questions.