AAC
FEATURE
New system to standardize death reporting for counties, state Story and Photo by Holland Doran AAC Communications Coordinator
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he lack of a standardized system to report and record deaths in coroners’ offices across the state has led to skewed data and stalled investigations. It has even prevented state and local agencies from receiving grant money that could fight the opioid crisis. In a multidisciplinary effort, Arkansas counties, the Arkansas Department of Health, the Arkansas State Crime Lab, and law enforcement are working to correct this problem with a standardized death investigation reporting system called Medicolegal Death Investigation (MDILog). The system is an efficient and secure way for coroners to Saline County Coroner Kevin Cleghorn browses through the MDIlog death reporting system in his Benton office. The system is expected to log sudden, unexpected deaths. Users enter details such as improve reporting for all manner of deaths, including opioid overdoses. date, time, cause and manner of death; descriptions and photos from the scene; and any corresponding documents. MDILog can then generate a report that coroners can than the 800 found in federal databases, the Arkansas personalize and send to state and federal agencies to aid Democrat-Gazette reported in April. Cleghorn believes MDILog can set Arkansas back on them in statistical research and in solving other deaths. MDILog users can also search national databases to help course in data collection and exchange, especially with them in an investigation. its ability to pinpoint areas of the state that need more Another benefit of the system is that the state can more community education and crime prevention. accurately track the number of deaths related to opioids. Arkansas State Crime Lab Executive Director Kermit Arkansas State Drug Director Kirk Lane and Saline County Channell says the system will increase the professionalism Coroner Kevin Cleghorn, who is president of the Arkansas and accuracy among death investigations in Arkansas. Coroners’ Association, have been instrumental in overseeing “It provides consistency, and that’s based on national the roll out of the system to counties and the state. standards,” he said. “I think that elevates the professionalism “Having just a universal reporting system in Arkansas at and knowledge across the board of all 75 counties.” one location actually cuts waiting on statistics. We don’t Channell said the quick and accurate exchange of have to wait a year out to gather statistics for 2018. We’ve information from a coroner to the crime lab is paramount got them in real time,” Cleghorn said. “That’s huge. We’ve in determining the cause and manner of death. never had that in Arkansas.” Channell has seen the impact of opioids on the state first In March, several counties were already using MDILog. hand. More than half of those who died due to a drug overdose The system is free of charge for five years. — and whose bodies were sent to the crime lab for autopsies “No more waiting, going back to the office or faxing the report,” Cleghorn said. “It’s all paperless now. It’s all done — have prescription opioids in their systems, he said. However, because of inaccurate data or the lack of data, immediately and in real time as we go.” Accurate statistics are essential when solving the cause and the lab cannot detect the specific type of opioid, such as manner of a death, says Lane, whose office is working to oxycodone, morphine or fentanyl, found in the bodies. MDILog improves the chances of identifying the specific secure grants necessary to fight the opioid crisis in Arkansas. “Currently we are trying to solve problems with 2016 opioid that caused the death, in turn generating reliable data,” Lane said. “Having outdated information reduces statistics for state and national databases. “It tells us what our communities are fighting,” Cleghorn the opportunity to get competitive grant funding and apply said. “With these kinds of statistics, it tells our law funding to effect current data-driven issues.” Due to inaccurate reporting, officials say the four-year enforcement around the state where they need to focus … death toll from opioid overdoses in Arkansas is likely higher where the hotspots are.” 32
COUNTY LINES, SPRING 2018