Amplify

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Data driven health care initiative - RICH

An exciting new expansion of our 2019 MRFF-funded Research Important Clinical problems with Health Outcomes (RICH) Program commenced in 2023. Originally, RICH aimed to facilitate research co-design and experiential learning through in-person RICH workshops which would encourage multidisciplinary teams to develop scientifically robust and socially relevant research proposals and implementation projects.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the proposed delivery of the program as a series of in-person workshops was cut short. Since then, we have pivoted to technological advancements to deliver the program’s objectives to support multi-disciplinary collaboration.

“SPHERE is a complex organisation with different operating systems that reflect the diversity of academic and health service cultures that constitute its membership. Reimagining the way we collaborate to solve our biggest health problems, using modern methods of communicating with each other is a cornerstone of our strategy,” explains Acting Executive Director Professor Chris White.

We’re reimagining RICH

Leveraging its size and established partnerships, SPHERE will lead research collaborations using a locally developed, cloud-native, distributed data platform: Research & Operational Data Environment (RODE). RODE facilitates data sharing, is compatible with various platforms, and supports data linkage and analysis through a federated querying system. This system allows data to be sourced from multiple locations and analysed locally. With local data governance approvals, RODE can query the NSW Health ethics reporting system (REGIS) to demonstrate a network of potential collaborations across contributing partners, identifying commonalities in research capacity and interest as well as developing new relationships and enablement according to clinical trial, grant-funded bid-building or policy developing initiatives.

RODE’s ability to integrate REGIS data with workforce, grant management and equipment registries could complement and reimagine the collaborative energy RICH planned to harness and expand its horizons beyond that which the original proposal may have planned.

“We will be RICHer by embodying the essence of our gifted name, Maridulu Budyari Gumal, which means working together for good health and wellbeing,” said Professor White.