«Aider les Proches Aidants»
Support for family caregivers
«Aider les Proches Aidants» establishes an integrated support system for family caregivers (proches aidants).
«Aider les Proches Aidants» is being developed by a consortium consisting of the canton of Neuchâtel, the health network AROSS, the Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH, and MIDATA. The project funded via the prevention in health care project support of Health Promotion Switzerland.
Prevention of disease and of burn-out of family caregivers is the overarching goal of the project. Via an app and online platform connected to geolocalized care service data from the canton, family caregivers receive information and support. In addition, they can record their emotional state and stress levels, receive consulting, and access offers that support self-management. The digital offer and the consulting services via AROSS are complementary: The app acts as primary point of contact and refers to the services offered by AROSS, if necessary.
From the beginning, the project aims for sustainability and for a multiplication into other cantons and regions. To facilitate this, an accompanying group consisting of relevant stakeholders (employers, insurance companies, public governance) is formed. In parallel, an economic feasibility analysis is performed, and options for sustainable financing are explored.
Participation
SCSP, Neuchâtel
Service de la santé publique
République et canton de Neuchâtel
Vincent Huguenin-Dumittan
Service.SantePublique@ne.ch
AROSS
Association Réseau Orientation Santé Social
Yves Kühne
yves.kuhne@aross.ch
MIDATA Cooperative
Dr. Dominik Steiger
dominik.steiger@midata.coop
BFH, I4MI
Institute for Medical Informatics I4MI
Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH
Serge Bignens
serge.bignens@bfh.ch
BFH, Health Professions
Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH
Prof. Eva Soom Ammann
eva.soomammann@bfh.ch
BFH, Social Work
Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH
Dr. Claudia Michel
claudia.michel@bfh.ch
Project partners
MIDATA serves as a data repository for its members and other participating members of the public. It is a non-profit cooperative facility that operates without offering financial incentives, similarly to blood donation services, for instance. The account holders are not paid for their intentional and voluntary «data donation». The revenue generated from the integration of their data into a scientific study is reinvested in the services offered on the platform and in a variety of smaller research projects. Start-ups, IT service providers and research groups can use the platform to offer mobile apps, such as health apps or apps for treating and monitoring patients with chronic illnesses. MIDATA is currently being used in a number of scientific health projects. In one particular project being conducted at University Hospital Zurich, for example, multiple sclerosis patients are being included in a study into the effect of treatments, which uses a tablet app to test their cognitive and motor skills. A further project, currently in development at ETH Zurich, will look at different training methods and the impact they have on muscle growth. More and more projects are being run that are directed at a wide section of the population and are of value to many – as is the case with the «Ally Science» project.
