SURE now easier, faster and more effective to use

Significant improvements have now made SURE easier, faster and more effective for researchers and data custodians to use.

Over the past 12 months, SURE has doubled the memory (RAM) available on all SURE Virtual Machines. Researchers and policy analysts working on larger datasets gained significant improvement in the speed of analysis operations once the upgrade was implemented with the support of an NCRIS Capital Upgrade and Maintenance grant from the Population Health Research Network (PHRN).

This upgrade has also supported the establishment of new data platforms in SURE such as the Medicines Intelligence Data Platform, run by the Medicines Intelligence Centre of Research Excellence (MI-CRE). The platform has helped to accelerate the development and translation of evidence about medicine use and outcomes.

“The Sax Institute’s innovative and tailored approach in hosting our new linked data asset has significantly enhanced our ability to generate comprehensive real-world evidence,” said Professor Sallie Pearson, Director of MI-CRE.

SURE has also enhanced its information security capabilities to meet current and emerging threats. SURE was recertified against the current ISO27001:2022 standard which ensures that our Information Security Management System is fit-for-purpose to protect the sensitive health and human services data SURE holds behalf of more than 35 data custodians around Australia.

“The enhancements made to the performance of our Virtual Machines and security accreditations keep SURE at the forefront of enabling cutting-edge research using increasingly large and powerful linked data,” said Matt Gorringe, Senior Director of Data and Research Services at the Sax Institute.

Since its inception in 2011, more than 1,200 researchers and policy analysts, and over 35 data custodians from national and state governments, clinical registries and cohort studies, have used SURE for research projects that have tackled major health issues such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and mental health.

SURE strives to deliver a flexible and responsive service to our clients with a dedicated help desk available during business hours. Last year 80% of clients surveyed reporting being satisfied or very satisfied with the services they received.

Find out more about how SURE helps custodians and researchers share data safely. To discuss how SURE can support your work, contact the SURE team at sure-admin@saxinstitute.org.au.