This instructional material provides “10 tips” for conducting an “overdose fatality review” (OFR) following a drug overdose death.
An OFR is conducted by a multidisciplinary team to identify factors in a drug-overdose decedent’s life that might be linked to the drug abuse that led to the overdose death. Such information provides important input in community planning and implementation of policies and practices that can prevent and treat substance-abuse disorders that can lead to overdose deaths. This guide’s Introductory instruction advises that the OFR facilitator should be an effective communicator, an active listener, and a trusted leader of the team. As a facilitator, the team leader must maintain the trust of the team and manage team member interactions at meetings so that all members are heard and input is respected. The 10 tips provided focus on successful team meeting facilitation. They advise that the effective functioning of an OFR team involves the creation of an environment conducive for networking, positive interaction among OFR team members, the maintenance of confidentiality, the use of reflective and clarifying questions at team meetings, being attentive to the body language of team members, facilitating the production of recommendations, and producing an agenda for meetings.