Why use the SDE?

Secure Data Environments improve data safety and security by using a data access model.

This means users can only access and analyse data in the environment – they can’t take it away.

SDEs standardise research practices involving health and care data. They have been designed to give users quicker and more consistent access to data. This supports innovation, enhances patient care and improves health outcomes.

SDEs improve:

• Patient privacy – SDEs must ensure information remains confidential at all times – read more on our How data is protected page.
• Security – NHS data will only be accessed on systems with high levels of protection. No information can be removed from the SDE. Approved users are granted individual access to certain Information in their own work areas that cannot be seen by others using the SDE.
• Efficiency – SDEs enable different sources of data to be linked, giving researchers access to bigger sets of data, faster.

Why use the North West SDE?

The North West SDE is a strong collaboration between the three ICSs in our region to improve research. Providing these local insights can make a real impact to reduce health inequalities in the North West.

Find out more on our About SDE data and Our region pages.

Users can browse data sets which are currently available to use for research on our Metadata Catalogue.

SDEs will support six types of study:

AI/Algoritm development

Testing, training, and validation

Clinical trial activities

Feasibility recruitment, efficacy through short-and-long term trial follow up

Real world studies

Safety, effectiveness, cos effectiveness

Translational Research

Academic discovery and implementation of discovery into practice

Epidemiological studies

large cohorts for population health research

Health Systems research

Evaluation of systems or processes, including operational and applied research

Researchers with ideas or proposals that the North West SDE could help with can find out more on our Apply to use the SDE page.