> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.opioiddata.org/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Upcoming data card changes - URL: https://www.opioiddata.org/upcoming-data-changes/ - Published: 2024-11-12T23:12:35.000Z - Updated: 2024-12-22T22:29:41.000Z - Author: Nabarun Dasgupta 📊 Updated cards will be mailed with kits starting in late January 2025\. We have received a lot of great feedback from programs on how to improve the data collections elements on the card. We have noted these over the last months, and are ready to make changes. (The card was last updated in June 2023.) We're giving analysts 2 months lead time to get ready. Given all the analysis implications listed below, we do not want to make another card change for a long time! We will update this page with the final version prior to launch. [Instruction and data card, v9Shipping in kits from January 2025Instruction and data card, v9.pdf932 KBdownload-circle](https://www.opioiddata.org/content/files/2024/11/Instruction-and-data-card--v9-1.pdf "Download") You can find an [archive of previous card versions](https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/concern/multimeds/5d86p887m?locale=en) and launch dates at the UNC institutional repository. For this round of changes, we did a data analysis of 8,311 samples analyzed by October 2024 to see patterns of missingness and see if we could make circle choices for common write-in notes for sensations, texture and expected drugs. The [current codebook](https://github.com/opioiddatalab/drugchecking/blob/main/datasets/unc%5Fdruchecking%5Fcodebook.txt) may be helpful in understanding the analysis implications. The codebook will be updated in January in advance of the launch. The following changes are expected to roll-out in mid-to-late January 2025, as card version 9\. Card version numbers are noted in the bottom left of the card. ## Subscribe to stay current. We will notify everyone of the launch date via our January newsletter. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. --- # Card Changes ## Big Things - Added nitazene and carfentanil to list of expected drugs - Added stimulant / opioid type to OD panel - Added test strip results for benzos, fent, xylazine, and meth ## Little Things - Changed scoop visual for collection method to be scoop and not spatula - Added “important!” to collection method to get more completion (this is very important for the lab to know how to analyze the sample, such as needing to concentrate residue samples) - Added “fine” to texture (common write-in) - Added “rock” to texture (common write-in) - Changed “weird” to “unusual” in sensations because the former was considered pejorative by some participants - Changed “unusual taste” to “odd smell" and "odd taste” in sensations to differentiate it from "unusual" above - Removed “fake pill” and kept “pill” - Changed “normal” to “typical” in sensations --- # **Analysis Implications** *These are some anticipated downstream implications of the card changes on data.* Analyzing sensations, datasets will be retrospectively processed to aggregate “unusual” or “weird” to be "unusual" only. Analyzing sensations, "smell" and "taste" can be disaggregated in **sensations**. Analyzing sensations, “normal” or “typical” will be aggregated. We will update datasets to replace all “normal” with “typical” retrospectively in variable **sen\_strength** and **sensations**. Variable **sen\_weird** will be renamed to **sen\_unusual**. In sensations, “more down” and “sedating” were redundant, so only “sedating” was kept to make room on the card. Variable **sen\_down** will remain as it is but will include both “more down” and “sedating” responses. Variable **overdose** will stay the same, but **od\_type** will be added to distinguish stimulant, opioid, and no response. Analyzing texture, “rock” was commonly listed as a write-in “other” category, and now will be in the main description text of **sensations**. This will be automated retrospectively to make it consistent with earlier datasets so no additional analysis to search free text (variable **texture\_notes**) . Same with “fine.” Test strip results will be a new set of 4 verbatim variables for **test\_benzos**, **test\_fent**, **test\_meth**, and **test\_xylazine**. The variables will take values of -1 for circled negative, 1 for circled positive, missing if not specified. --- We hope these changes will help our participants describe their experiences better, reduce hassle for staff filling out the cards, and provide analysts with tools for more nuanced analysis.