U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Reduce overdose deaths involving heroin — IVP‑23 Data Methodology and Measurement

On this page:  About the National Data  |  Methodology

About the National Data

Data

Data Sources:  National Vital Statistics System - Mortality (NVSS-M), CDC/NCHS; Population Estimates, Census

Baseline: 4.7 deaths per 100,000 population were caused by an overdose involving heroin in 2018

Target: 4.2 per 100,000

Numerator
Number of overdose deaths involving heroin (ICD-10 code: T40.1 in any field of the multiple cause of death file) among deaths with an underlying external cause-of-injury (ICD-10 codes: X40–X44, X60–X64, X85, Y10–Y14).
Denominator
Number of persons.
Target-setting method

Percent improvement

Target-setting method details
10 percent improvement from the baseline.
Target-setting method justification
Trend data were evaluated for this objective, but it was not possible to project a target because the trend was moving away from the desired direction. A 10 percent improvement from the baseline was used to calculate a target. This method was used because it was a statistically significant improvement from the baseline. In addition, interventions such as overdose education and naloxone distribution are promising strategies to address this issue and help reduce opioid-related deaths.

Methodology

Methodology notes

Deaths are classified using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD–10). Drug overdose deaths are identified using underlying cause-of-death codes X40–X44, X60–X64, X85, and Y10–Y14. The numerator will include drug overdose deaths that have heroin (T40.1) as a contributing cause using the multiple cause of death file.

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