Le Bon Samaritain: A Community-Based Care Model Supported by Technology.

Area of Science:

• Community Health
• Emergency Services Management
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Effective community well-being is challenging, especially during emergencies.
• Existing health and emergency services face limitations due to technological silos.
• Advancements in smart-home automation, wearables, and cloud technology enable better community interaction and timely service delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel, technology-supported, community-based care model.
• To reduce healthcare and emergency service costs.
• To enhance community resilience in health and emergency situations.

Main Methods:

• Examined care models across various industries.
• Identified supporting technologies for the proposed model.
• Developed and validated two prototypes to assess technological adequacy.

Main Results:

• Introduced the 'Le Bon Samaritain' community-based care model.
• Established a network of 'Bons Samaritains' to manage basic community care and safety.
• Integrated the model with existing emergency warning, community, and health services for effective message dissemination.

Conclusions:

• The 'Le Bon Samaritain' model is scalable and community-driven.
• It enhances feelings of safety, reduces isolation, and increases community integration.
• Potential to lower healthcare costs, boost resilience, and foster integrated emergency and care systems.