Tracking overdoses good idea, but be open
There’s much to like about Gov. John Kasich’s proposal concerning county-level study of overdose fatalities. The idea is to let a county form a committee to investigate each overdose death, and build a database that would include demographic information of victims, where the overdoses occurred and other details.
However, public access to the findings would be limited — even though much of the information would be sourced from public records.
Certainly, such a committee could be useful. With a membership that could include mental health board members, doctors and coroners, the group could find the data enlightening. Include someone versed in data mining, and the information could be more revealing.
But the governor proposes having that committee meet in private, and the records members review — even public records — would be kept from the public. Reportedly, that would prevent disclosure of the identity of people whose overdose deaths are being investigated.
One catch here is private health records may be involved. While the Privacy Act of 1974 doesn’t apply to the deceased, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act can.
Shielding might be understandable if all overdoses were investigated, not just those that resulted in death. But this newspaper already reports the names of those suspected of dying from an overdose, as well as the names of those who are charged after surviving an apparent overdose.
Plus, families of fatal overdose victims increasingly are openly decrying the scourge that claimed the life of a loved one. Their fortitude is to be admired.
Opioid abuse is a public health issue. The public should have access to public information related to this crisis. county-level committees should be formed, and their findings should be made public while protecting private health records.