Emerging Trends in Public Health
Sharing Session - 60 Minutes
Sean Allen, DrPH, MPH
Assistant Scientist
Johns Hopkins University
Michael Kilkenny, MD, MS
Physician Director
Cabell-Huntington Health Department
A research team from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health collaborated with the Cabell-Huntington Health Department in West Virginia to perform an innovative study showing that evidence-based research techniques previously used to study affected populations in urban settings also can be applied to opioid epidemic response in rural, small town settings. The teams were able to estimate the population of people who inject drugs and to identify demographic, behavioral, and attitudinal characteristics which the local community can use to identify needs and gaps in care. Results can be used to scale and direct prevention and treatment strategies, to enhance service delivery and linkage to care, and to inform policy.