SERO

Suicide prevention

The SERO app wins the Prix Innovation Qualité 2024 of the FMH- Swiss Medical Association. Congratulations to the team!

SERO Suicide prevention

The award-winning SERO app enables individuals at risk of suicide and their families to take appropriate suicide prevention measures at any time. SERO was developed on behalf of the Lucerne Psychiatry by the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) in collaboration with MIDATA.

For those affected, the app offers a safety plan that can be shared with designated contacts, the ability to store and directly contact personal contacts, a digital self-assessment tool for suicide risk (PRISM™-S), and a list of crisis hotlines as a contact option.

Family members and designated contacts have access to a shared safety plan, a resource plan, and conversation tips. The image of the current suicide risk generated by the app can be easily and directly sent to trusted individuals or therapeutic professionals if needed.

The SERO app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play Store. The app is part of the SERO project supported by Health Promotion Switzerland.

 

Website Sero

Description Sero

Lea Meier et al. (2022). SERO – A New Mobile App for Suicide Prevention. Healthcare of the Future.

Project partners

The Luzerner Psychiatrie AG sees itself as a reliable partner in the psychiatric care network of Central Switzerland. Its main tasks include outpatient, intermediary, and inpatient treatments for individuals with mental illness. Basic care encompasses assessment, diagnosis, and therapy.
The MIDATA data platform enables members of the public to compile their health records in a secure personal account free of charge and to determine if and how they are used in research projects. In this way, they can act as «citizen scientists», making an active contribution to medical research.
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.

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The Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) offers an innovative didactic approach aimed at teaching, R&D and continuous training, using practical exercises to prepare students for professional activities in which scientific knowledge and methods are required.
Health Promotion Switzerland initiates, coordinates and evaluates measures of health promotion and of disease prevention. The long-term goal is a healthier Switzerland.