ArticleAcademic forensic pathology2016
Surveillance of Drug Overdoses Using Google Fusion Tables.
Article in Academic forensic pathology, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Quality assessment of the forensic surveillance system: A data-quality monitoring system for substance-abuse detection in unnatural deaths in Thailand.Forensic science international. Synergy · 2026Article
- Xylazine co-occurrence with illicit fentanyl is a growing threat in the Deep South: a retrospective study of decedent data.Harm reduction journal · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issuedErrata.2017
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionDrug use is a constantly evolving public health challenge. We present the use of Google Fusion Tables and Google Maps for the surveillance of drug-related deaths and discuss its potential large-scale use.
methodsDemographic and geographic data for deaths related to cocaine and heroin use occurring from 2012-2014 was queried from the Jefferson County Coroner/Medical Examiner's Office. Fusion Tables was then used to plot each address onto a map.
resultsWe developed a method to automatically import data into Fusion Tables. Individualized icons were then used to denote specific demographics and locations on a Google Map where filters could be applied to visualize findings such as only 18-25 year old white males. These features provided an easy means to visualize the relative high frequency of heroin-related deaths in white males. Furthermore, the date filters highlighted heroin-related deaths more than doubled in 2014 compared to previous years.
conclusionsMapping of health-related data has a long-standing history in public health, though its use in the forensic pathology community is limited. Fusion Tables provides users with the ability to visualize and analyze patterns and share data. Many geocoding solutions exist; however, we found this software to be user friendly and flexible. Our office now includes these visualizations into the annual summary that is provided to local law enforcement, public health officials, and the general public.
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