Groundbreaking ambulance data system recognised for life-saving impact

A world-leading data collection system pulling together information from ambulance call-outs across the country has been recognised as one of the most potentially impactful data innovations in Australian health and medical research.

Research Australia, the national health and medical research peak body, has announced the team behind the National Ambulance Surveillance System (NASS) as a finalist in its 18th Health and Medical Research Awards.

The NASS team has been recognised in the Data Innovation category (sponsored by Bupa Health Foundation), recognising how it has become the ‘go to’ source for understanding the magnitude of mental health callouts, as well as those resulting from alcohol and other drug harms. 

The NASS records information from ambulance call-outs relating to alcohol and drug use, self-harm and suicide, allowing health services, policymakers and

NGOs to track these key indicators and see a fuller data picture on the effectiveness of related interventions. 

The value of this work is highlighted by the latest NASS data on alcohol and other drug misuse and overdose released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare today.

Key findings released in Alcohol and other drugs in Australia include: 

• Between 2015 and 2020, the highest rates of alcohol and other drug-related ambulance attendances were related to alcohol intoxication.
• Multiple drugs (excluding alcohol) were involved in over half of ambulance attendances related to sedatives or pain-killers in 2020.
• In 2020, ambulance attendances related to sedatives or pain-killers were predominantly for females, while attendances for alcohol and other drugs were predominantly for males.

Research Australia CEO Nadia Levin congratulated the NASS team on delivering this globally unique collaboration with demonstrable impact.

“Initially developed to understand heroin-related harms in metropolitan Melbourne, this project has grown to capture national data on all alcohol and drug-related harms, suicide and self-harm ambulance attendances,” Ms Levin said. 

“Importantly, the data is also flexible and can be adapted to capture emerging issues at a population level, including violence-related data. This is a wonderful example of innovation in health and medical data, delivering information that can help steer public policy response for better community health outcomes.”

State and territory ambulance services provide an extract of their patient clinical records to Turning Point, a national addiction research and treatment centre, where trained research assistants read and annotate each record – creating a timely and accurate population-based surveillance dataset. The NASS recently received a Google grant to introduce artificial intelligence techniques to help annotate the data, allowing results to be reported faster for greater insight and impact. 

A/Prof Debbie Scott, Strategic Lead at Turning Point and Monash University, said establishing the data collection had involved significant collaboration, breaking down historical silos between jurisdictions.

“This project provides an ongoing representative national data source to allow government and NGOs to evaluate policy and interventions, helping ensure funding is being used effectively to save lives and reduce the damage caused by suicide, self-harm, alcohol and other drugs,” she said.

“The richness and precision of this data helps health authorities remain flexible and understand emerging contemporary issues, such as the long-term impact of bushfires, or how COVID has changed mental health, violence, and drug and alcohol harms.

“It’s a fabulous example of different jurisdictions and services working together, and we’re proud to be recognised for this work.”

The NASS is a collaborative effort between state ambulance services, Turning Point and Monash University, with funding from the Commonwealth Department of Health, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, and the Victorian Department of Health. 

The winners of the Health and Medical Research Awards will be announced at a gala award ceremony in Sydney on December 9.

Research Australia is the national peak body for Australian health and medical research. www.researchaustralia.org 

A/Prof Debbie Scott is available for interviews.
Media contact: Pia Akerman, 0412 346 746

The Data Innovation Award is kindly sponsored by Bupa Health Foundation.