Did you know? Over 60% of drug overdose deaths involved at least one potential opportunity for intervention. That’s why we recently invited our partners at Zero Overdose to join us for a webinar exploring how to make overdose prevention more actionable and equitable. During the webinar, “Prevention is Connection: Scaling Overdose Safety Planning Through Technology and Partnerships,” we discussed overdose safety planning as a core prevention strategy, how digital tools like Arize can support prevention workflows, and practical strategies to embed overdose prevention in everyday care. Keep reading for a summary of the discussion.

Q: Why is Overdose Safety Planning emerging now as a critical strategy? 

A: Overdose Safety Planning (ODSP) shifts the focus from crisis response to proactive prevention. For too long, overdose prevention efforts have been reactive—centered around naloxone distribution or post-overdose interventions. While those are essential, they intervene after a crisis has occurred. ODSP fills a crucial gap in the continuum of care by addressing overdose risk before an event takes place, especially during periods of elevated risk that often go unrecognized—such as after discharge from a facility, during early recovery, or when someone resumes use after a period of abstinence. 

It’s also important to recognize that existing substance use screening tools are not always designed to assess overdose-specific risk factors. ODSP introduces structured, evidence-informed conversations about risk, while engaging individuals in their own safety planning. This helps bridge the gap between general SUD treatment and targeted overdose prevention, creating a new layer of intervention that is highly personalized and immediately actionable.

Q: How does ODSP support person-centered care?  

A: ODSP is inherently collaborative. It doesn’t require abstinence or treatment commitment. Instead, it meets people where they are—whether they’re actively using, in recovery, or somewhere in between. This approach builds trust, reduces stigma, and empowers individuals to take ownership of their safety. That’s what makes it so effective in engaging people who might otherwise fall through the cracks. 

Q: How does ODSP help recognize “missed opportunities” in overdose prevention? 

A: People don’t always talk about overdose events, especially if emergency services weren’t involved or they didn’t go to the hospital. So, unless someone asks directly, “Since the last time we talked, have you had an overdose event?” you may never know.  

When organizations start asking that question, they often see an increase in reported overdoses—not because more are happening, but because they’re finally being acknowledged. That opens the door to safety planning.  

It’s also about having the right language. Many providers aren’t sure how to start these conversations, but preparing pre-scripted, safety-oriented statements ahead of time can be helpful. For example, “Your life is important to me, and I’m concerned you might be at risk for an unintentional overdose. I’d like to talk about how we can keep you safe.”  

Q: What are the biggest barriers to implementing ODSP?

A: The challenges to implementing overdose prevention are real—and they’re multifaceted. Providers often ask: “Which screening tool should I use?” or “How do I fit this into a 15-minute visit?” There’s a lack of standardization, limited training, and real workforce constraints. Many clinicians simply don’t feel equipped to ask the right questions or know what to do with the answers. 

Privacy concerns and fragmented care systems add to the complexity. Someone receiving substance use treatment might be in one program, while their mental health care is handled elsewhere, and their primary care in yet another setting. That fragmentation makes it harder to coordinate care and identify risk. 

Perhaps the biggest barrier is stigma. We still carry deeply ingrained biases about people who use substances, and that prevents us from engaging them openly and compassionately. Until we address that, we’ll continue to miss opportunities for connection and prevention. 

Q: How does integrating ODSP into electronic health records (EHRs) help solve these problems?

A: It’s critical that ODSP is embedded into EHRs and made accessible on individuals’ phones. That’s part of the work we’re doing now: figuring out how to standardize this approach and ensure every provider adopts it, so no one falls through the cracks. 

Integration into EHRs is the only way to make that happen. A platform like Arize can address many of the challenges we’ve discussed by embedding overdose prevention protocols directly into clinical workflows. That includes documentation templates tailored to ODSP, automated alerts and reminders, and decision support tools that guide clinicians through the process at the point of care. When safety plans are created during the visit, adherence to these evidence-informed practices increases significantly. 

That’s the beauty of full integration. You’re not relying on memory or good intentions—especially in busy, high-volume settings. When overdose safety planning is embedded into the EHR, it becomes part of the standard of care. That means fewer people falling through the cracks—and better tracking of outcomes to understand the impact of our interventions on clinical care.

Q: How do EHRs help track overdose safety planning at the population level, and how does that change what’s possible for providers and organizations? 

A: Once ODSP is integrated into the EHR, we can generate real-time registries of who’s at risk, who has an active safety plan, and who’s due for a check-in or intervention. That’s a game changer. It allows clinicians and supervisors to track overdose safety planning across their population. For example, if someone hasn’t had a safety plan updated in 30 days, the system can alert you. That kind of proactive population management is essential, especially for individuals at high risk. 

Looking ahead, the integration of AI and predictive analytics opens even more possibilities. By analyzing EHR data, we can identify risk factors and flag individuals who may be at elevated risk. We can target specific groups, identify trends, and intervene earlier. You can’t do that if you’re relying on individual clinicians to manually track dozens of patients and remember who might be at risk. That’s why technology is so critical.

Q: How will overdose prevention evolve in the next few years? What is technology’s role?

A: Right now, we tend to rely heavily on retrospective data—looking at what’s already happened. We need to shift toward a more predictive approach, identifying individuals at risk before an event occurs. Technology is critical to this future. Unless we embed the Overdose Safety Plan directly into EHRs, we won’t see the impact we need. Without these advances and collaborations, we risk repeating the shortcomings of past efforts.

The data we collect in EHRs gives us that opportunity. By analyzing medication history, past overdoses, co-occurring diagnoses, and other known risk factors, we can generate risk scores and prioritize individuals for intervention.

A registry tells you who needs attention. The overdose safety plan tells you what to do next. When we embed both into a proactive, actionable workflow, we’re not just reacting to crises, we’re getting ahead of them—and that’s where the real power lies. 

Watch the webinar to hear more on these topics from our friends at Zero Overdose and visit ZeroOverdose.org to learn more about ODSP and training opportunities. Is it time for your organization to take the next step towards EHR success? Let’s connect to show you what Arize EHR can do. Together, we can move from crisis response to true prevention—and ensure no one falls through the cracks.