For HouseWorks, technology is a key component in its growth and enhancement as an organization.

The company recently announced that, along with RAB Ventures LLC, it has acquired the assets of eCaring, a New York-based health care technology company.

“It has become really clear that the home care industry needs technology to remain competitive and scale,” Andrea Cohen, founder and CEO of HouseWorks, told Home Health Care News.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Backed by health care investor RAB Ventures LLC, Newton, Massachusetts-based HouseWorks is an in-home care company that also offers home-modification services.

Meanwhile, eCaring’s web-based care management system allows providers in non-acute settings to track behavioral and clinical data.

As part of the deal, HouseWorks will invest in eCaring in order to expand its services.

Ultimately, the move is a step toward improving outcomes, Cohen told HHCN.

“The technology industry has been pushing out products, but they are finding it difficult to refine and integrate them into supporting seniors in the home,” she said. “It’s hard for them to find partners to experiment with. We felt that in order to be successful moving forward, we have to integrate technology to enhance the experience of our customers.”

Successfully blending the expertise of a home care company and a proven technology solution presented a huge market opportunity for the company, according to Cohen.

“We have been thinking about this for a couple of years and looking at different solutions,” she said. “We decided that we wanted to own some of it, and the investment in technology really shows our commitment.”

In addition to having a proven track record, eCaring was an attractive acquisition asset due to its potential for further development, according to Cohen.

“The opportunity for us to shape it as we move forward is key,” she said. “We are going to be able to test it and get feedback from the caregivers that are using it.”

Ideally, this acquisition of eCaring will address several pain points HouseWorks have been grappling with, both internally and externally.

“We wanted to give our caregiver a voice into how care is delivered, which will help recruitment and retention,” Cohen said. “We wanted to give our case managers a window into the home, so they can respond proactively. We wanted to give families real-time information. We wanted data to be able to improve our value to payers and others.”

Looking ahead, HouseWorks plans to further expand its tablet program, too.

Last year, the company began bringing tablets into patients’ homes that were tailored to each specific individual.

“Being able to take everything that we’re learning from the tablets and connecting it to our backend system will be a huge win — and will transform care in the home,” Cohen said.

Additional reporting by Andrew Donlan.