Investigating Opioid Misuse through AI/ML: New Opportunities and Gaps to Combat the Opioid Crisis in Northwest Georgia
Abstract
Kennesaw State University (KSU) is an evolving R2 Carnegie classified research institution with nearly 45,000 students. While predominately undergraduate-focused, KSU has expanded its graduate offerings, particularly in the fields of data science, computer science, and health sciences. Leveraging its academic rigor and burgeoning research within the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services and College of Computing and Software Engineering, KSU is strategically positioned to spearhead interdisciplinary research initiatives in emerging technology fields, such as AI/ML, to tackle health equity issues.
KSU's proximity to rural Northwest GA/Southern Appalachia elucidates significant health equity challenges. Despite being predominantly white, these regions are witnessing an influx of Black/African American and Hispanic populations, with language diversity adding to the complexity. Moreover, nearly 13% of residents in this area live below the poverty line, exacerbating existing health disparities. The Northwest GA/Southern Appalachian region, encompassing 12 counties, grapples with unique socioeconomic disparities, limited access to healthcare, and cultural barriers elevating morbidity and mortality rates compared to urban counterparts.
This project focuses on opioid misuse, exacerbated by SODH and COVID-19. In GA, opioid overdose deaths are rampant, especially in rural communities. Rural Georgians exhibit higher rates of behavioral/mental health issues overall, often attributed to stressors like economic instability and social isolation. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl have worsened the crisis. To combat this, KSU will employ AI/ML to open access national data sets, identifying opportunities and gaps; construct a plan to collect and analyze localized data; and devise targeted interventions. By encouraging community-based participatory research and partnerships with local healthcare providers and community organizations serving medically underserved areas in rural Northwest GA/Southern Appalachia, KSU aims to combat the opioid crisis through addressing the root causes of health disparities and enhancing healthcare access and quality. In turn, optimal health outcomes for all rural Northwest GA/Southern Appalachians can be achieved.
Keywords
rural health, artificial intelligence, data science, social determinants of health, mental health, opioids
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Investigating Opioid Misuse through AI/ML: New Opportunities and Gaps to Combat the Opioid Crisis in Northwest Georgia
Kennesaw State University (KSU) is an evolving R2 Carnegie classified research institution with nearly 45,000 students. While predominately undergraduate-focused, KSU has expanded its graduate offerings, particularly in the fields of data science, computer science, and health sciences. Leveraging its academic rigor and burgeoning research within the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services and College of Computing and Software Engineering, KSU is strategically positioned to spearhead interdisciplinary research initiatives in emerging technology fields, such as AI/ML, to tackle health equity issues.
KSU's proximity to rural Northwest GA/Southern Appalachia elucidates significant health equity challenges. Despite being predominantly white, these regions are witnessing an influx of Black/African American and Hispanic populations, with language diversity adding to the complexity. Moreover, nearly 13% of residents in this area live below the poverty line, exacerbating existing health disparities. The Northwest GA/Southern Appalachian region, encompassing 12 counties, grapples with unique socioeconomic disparities, limited access to healthcare, and cultural barriers elevating morbidity and mortality rates compared to urban counterparts.
This project focuses on opioid misuse, exacerbated by SODH and COVID-19. In GA, opioid overdose deaths are rampant, especially in rural communities. Rural Georgians exhibit higher rates of behavioral/mental health issues overall, often attributed to stressors like economic instability and social isolation. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl have worsened the crisis. To combat this, KSU will employ AI/ML to open access national data sets, identifying opportunities and gaps; construct a plan to collect and analyze localized data; and devise targeted interventions. By encouraging community-based participatory research and partnerships with local healthcare providers and community organizations serving medically underserved areas in rural Northwest GA/Southern Appalachia, KSU aims to combat the opioid crisis through addressing the root causes of health disparities and enhancing healthcare access and quality. In turn, optimal health outcomes for all rural Northwest GA/Southern Appalachians can be achieved.
