Graphnet buys patient monitoring specialist Docobo

Shared care records provider Graphnet has acquired remote patient monitoring specialist Docobo.

Docobo is a UK leader in care at home digital services, supporting tens of thousands of people across the UK and has seen rapid growth in demand during the pandemic.

The company specialises in digital remote patient management, enabling clinicians and carers to better care for patients in their home, helping to prevent hospital admissions. Docobo also supports virtual wards and care homes.

Graphnet says that the addition of Docobo to its line-up will enable it to help Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), NHS trusts and councils to better prevent avoidable hospital admissions, and support people to manage their long-term conditions and care at home.

The deal will enable Graphnet to offer Docobo’s patient monitoring and remote care platform DOC@HOME and integrate it with its own shared care records and population health tool platforms.

DOC@HOME is a web-based portal, which allows patients to send information through their computer, a mobile phone app or CarePortal device designed for people with limited access to or experience of computers.

It can serve a range of conditions including respiratory, cardiac, diabetes, motor neurone disease, cancer symptom monitoring and post treatment surveillance.

Adrian Flowerday, CEO of Docobo, told Digital Health News: “We are finally seeing remote patient monitoring being commissioned as real scale.

“The Docobo solution is increasingly being seen by the NHS as an alternative to elective admissions. With hospital waiting lists at over 5.5 million the NHS now see remote monitoring is a way to help solve that and we’ve so far got deals with 8-9 ICSs.”

He added: “We’ve seen explosive growth over the past two years, but the high volumes mean that we need much more R&D, technical support and staff, and we needed a partner. We’re delighted to be working with Graphnet.”

Flowerday will continue as CEO of Docobo, the company he founded 20-year ago, and it will remain a distinct company within the System C & Graphnet Care Alliance group of companies.

Graphnet chief executive, Brian Waters, added: “Understanding those patients who are the right cohorts for remote monitoring is essential to ensure the savings and benefits. To achieve that, we will be fully integrating DOC@HOME with Graphnet’s CareCentric population health platform, which means we will be able to prepare lists of candidate patients suitable for being cared for at home. Docobo will then help manage the care of those individuals.

“DOC@HOME data will flow back through CareCentric, providing another rich source of information for ICS analytics, and giving an even more comprehensive understanding of their citizens, their needs, and any gaps in the services that they’re providing.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.