Irvine, California-based practice management software company Kareo has acquired San Francisco-based DoctorBase, maker of a mobile-based patient communications offering.

DoctorBase has raised at least $360,000 to date. Kareo had raised a total of $72.5 million as of January 2014.

DoctorBase developed a tool that both helps practices find new patients as well as communicate with their existing ones. The service's features for providers include reputation management, online appointment booking, appointment reminders, patient recall capabilities, and mobile secure messaging. DoctorBase serves thousands of providers practicing in over 30 medical specialties across 42 states, the company says. Its service costs practices $295 per month.

“By adding DoctorBase’s innovative solutions to the Kareo platform, independent medical practices will have the tools they need to attract new patients and manage relationships with their existing patients – keeping them ahead of competition such as that from large health systems and retail clinics,” Kareo CEO Dan Rodrigues said in a statement. “We’re excited that our solutions combined with DoctorBase’s functionality will provide patients with conveniences they have come to expect in other parts of their lives, such as online appointment booking and email and text appointment reminders.” 

While DoctorBase's offerings are still available on their own for now, Kareo plans to combine DoctorBase's offering with its practice management service too. The companies said they will slowly integrate their products into a single offering. They aim to launch a "limited availability, lightly integrated release" in early Q2 and a deeper integration in the second half of the year.

The combined product will help patients can book appointments online and receive automated appointment reminders through phone, email or text messages. Providers will use the integrated service to collect a patient's medical information and charge patients after an appointment. And after the visit, Kareo and DoctorBase's combined platform will send patients automated messages including a patient satisfaction survey and a request to rate the physician online.

“Kareo’s mission to help independent practices succeed perfectly aligns with our goals,” DoctorBase CEO John Sung Kim said in a statement. “Kareo has been instrumental in helping thousands of doctors run their practices smarter. With our combined solutions, we’ll empower independent physicians to thrive in a dynamic market with changing consumer behavior.”