The goal of the Ontario Harm Reduction Database initiative is to implement a comprehensive harm reduction service management and reporting system that meets the needs of Harm Reductions Service Providers offered by and/or funded via Ontario’s Public Health Units and the AIDS and Hepatitis C Programs. The MOHLTC-funded harm reduction services include needle exchange, injection drug user outreach and hepatitis C programming. The ONHRDB also tracks information for the Ontario Naloxone Program and Consumption and Treatment Services.
CAMH, in partnership with Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) and NEO360 will implement NEO at all sites in Ontario offering Publicly-funded harm reduction services. NEO is a secure web-based application used by harm reduction health service providers (HRSPs) for service management and reporting. CAMH will build and deploy a dynamic on demand reporting environment for use by the MOHLTC and harm reduction system stakeholders.
HRSPs will use NEO to record information about the clients who access, participate in, and/or are reached through the provincial harm reduction programs: Needle Exchange Programs (including their respective satellite/mobile needle exchange sites), Hepatitis C Teams, and Injection Drug Use Outreach Programs. This information will help service providers manage their programs, and increase the Ministry’s ability to monitor and analyze trends, as well as provide a tool for efficient and standardized data collection.
As of 2020, the ONHRDB has been expanded to collect data for Ontario's Consumption & Treatment Services, offering supervised drug consumption and various health and social services for people who use drugs. NEO's new Consumption & Treatment Service module assists users in their operation of supervised consumption services while simultaneously capturing all reporting requirements for the MOHLTC.
Technology
The ONHRDB is constituted by two pieces of technology: (1) a data collection tool and, (2) a reporting platform that aggregates the data entered into the data collection tool.
Data collection tool—NEO360
NEO360 is the data collection software used by the ONHRDB. HRSPs enter data into NEO about the services they provide to clients. NEO360 is third-party software, developed in the UK, and has been licensed by CAMH. The software is licensed and paid for on an annual basis.
Reporting platform—CAMH Analytics Portal
The Analytics Portal will aggregate the data entered by HRSPs into NEO360 in order to create the standardized reports outlined above. The Analytics Portal is currently being developed by CAMH, and will be web-based.
Both HRSPs and the MOHLTC will be able to log into the Analytics Portal and view reports. HRSPs will be able to see reports generated using their own data (data entered by their staff and satellite sites). The MOHLTC will be able to view reports generated using all data entered by all HRSPs using the system.
Reach
Currently, the ONHRDB is used by 72 publicly-funded harm reduction agencies, including all of Ontario's public health units. NEO is used to collect data from over 300 access points, including partnering pharmacies, social services agencies, shelters and mobile outreach teams.
