A new psychiatric care network in Essen is reshaping how mental health services are delivered using the digital platform Patients Know Best (PKB). The partnership is setting the standard for digital collaboration in Germany and demonstrates how PKB can improve care coordination for all medical disciplines. Currently, the network covers Essen and surroundings with psychiatry, resident psychiatrists, psychotherapists, sociotherapists and outpatient psychiatric care live on the platform, with more joining soon.

Known as Integrierte Versorgung or Versorgungsnetze, German care networks are collaborations between hospitals, GPs, and specialists. While the Essen network focuses on mental health, PKB meets all national legal and digital requirements for integrated care in all specialties. The platform helps these networks by enabling shared treatment plans, which allows providers to create comprehensive plans across all clinical areas, not just psychiatry. It also provides a secure hub for interdisciplinary communication among specialists, GPs, and other professionals, while meeting Germany's evolving healthcare laws, including the Digital Health Act (DVG) and Telematics Infrastructure (TI).

With PKB, professionals can easily onboard patients and create shared records. A key feature is the use of PKB’s Care Plans, which aligns with Germany’s "Coordinated Structured Care" guidelines. This allows all involved clinicians to list everyone involved in a patient's care, clarify roles and responsibilities, document treatment goals and notes, and track progress in a way that is visible to the entire care team. This coordinated approach replaces outdated paper records and disconnected systems, fostering true collaborative care.

Dr Nico Rohlfing, Head of Praxis für Psychotherapie Herr Dr. Rohlfing and founder of the new network, said “PKB was chosen for the Essen network because it fulfills Germany’s traditional stringent requirements for privacy while also meeting new requirements for sharing to deliver integrated care. The platform adheres to the highest data protection standards and enables professionals to create and manage shared, interdisciplinary treatment plans. It also offers a flexible organizational structure, allowing for the creation of dedicated teams for each specialty. Furthermore, the platform provides secure messaging and facilitates interdisciplinary scheduling.”

"We are delighted to help patients in Germany. Dr Nico Rohlfing is a pioneer in mental health and in integrated care, it’s an honour to support his relentless focus on patient care." said Dr. Mohammad Al-Ubaydli, CEO of Patients Know Best. "Psychiatric services are the start, we plan to serve all of Germany's healthcare system."