The transition from inpatient to outpatient care can lead to an interruption in treatment, particularly in severe mental illness. Dr Jakob Kaminski, cofounder of Recovery Cat and psychiatrist and psychotherapist at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin has encountered this problem often.
Together with an interdisciplinary team, he has therefore developed a platform to facilitate continued therapy. It allows patients and practitioners to follow the progress of treatment together. ‘This close collaboration is crucial for us,’ says Jakob Kaminski. It strengthens patient compliance when they see that their feedback has a real impact – on their self-perception as well as on the course of treatment. On the basis of the data collected, practitioners can make informed decisions about therapy adjustments such as dose reductions. ‘Without suf ficient information and in case of doubt, the higher dose is chosen,’ explains Jakob Kaminski. Feedback has been positive – in a feasibility study the app achieved an impressive usage rate of approximately 80%.
Since the beginning of 2025, the German health insurer Techniker Krankenkasse had been covering the cost of hybrid care with Recovery Cat. ‘We see huge potential – also for other conditions,’ says Kaminski. ‘Hybrid care is a real alternative to the classical approach of simply providing more beds – with big bene ts for patients, practitioners and health insurers.’
The team was supported by the BIH Digital Health Accelerator and Ascenion, who negotiated the licence agreements with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Berlin Institute of Health, and holds shares in the start-up.
(Annual Review 2024/25)