LEXINGTON, Ky. — University of Kentucky researchers have unveiled a new surveillance system designed to predict and prevent opioid overdoses across the state, giving health departments and community organizations access to real-time data that could save lives.

The system, called Rapid Actionable Data for Opioid Response in Kentucky (RADOR-KY), was recently presented at the Rx and Illicit Drug Summit and is now available for use by state and local officials. The dashboard consolidates data from multiple sources including emergency medical services, prescription drug monitoring programs, Medicaid claims and drug seizure records to provide county-level insights into overdose trends.

The system uses advanced algorithms and artificial intelligence to rapidly process data and help predict potential overdose surges, enabling communities to take targeted action before crises escalate. Svetla Slavova, an associate professor in the UK College of Public Health who co-leads the project, said the tool serves as "a proof of concept for statewide health intelligence."

The need is urgent. Overdose deaths in Kentucky peaked in 2021 at 2,257, with opioids involved in 90% of those deaths, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic and a surge in fentanyl and methamphetamine. While deaths have declined since then, dropping to 1,410 in 2024, Kentucky's drug overdose death rate remains above the national average.

The project is supported by a three-year $3.1 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and was developed by researchers including Jeffrey Talbert, a professor in the College of Medicine and College of Pharmacy. Katherine Marks, who serves as project director for the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort within the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said the system's faster data processing and predictive analytics will help the state take more strategic action in distributing naloxone and expanding access to medications like buprenorphine.

The dashboard has a simplified default view for basic users and an advanced version that allows customization, graph downloads and machine learning predictions. During an April demonstration in Nashville, the research team showed how officials in the Kentucky River District, a seven-county region in Eastern Kentucky, could use the system to identify overdose hotspots and assess treatment access gaps.

Researchers plan to share the programming code and algorithms in a public repository, positioning RADOR-KY as a model for other states seeking to build similar public health data infrastructure.