Primary care under pressure: Advances in consumer-centric healthcare technologies improve access and satisfaction while alleviating burden on primary care system

Latest Chilmark report evaluates new patient-facing AI tools, remote care platforms, and telehealth solutions for impact on a primary care infrastructure experiencing increased strain

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Chilmark Research

Oct 28, 2019, 07:33 ET

BOSTON, Oct. 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Primary care is the most common touchpoint in medicine, and yet increasing patient demand, expanding provider responsibilities and evolving payment models threaten the sustainability of this essential element of the healthcare system. New technological approaches combined with the drive to move care to lower cost settings are enabling new care models that better meet patient needs and still allow providers to maintain a longitudinal relationship and central role in defining patient care. These broader changes mean that primary care providers and practices will need to do more to engage patients, maintain and improve patient health status, and improve the patient experience.

The latest report from Chilmark Research, Primary Care for the 21^st Century: Technology-Enabled and On Demand, examines three new types of solutions that contribute to or complement the modern technology-enabled primary care practice:

Telehealth
Virtual and Remote Care Platforms (including behavioral health)
AI-Enabled Assistants, Symptom Checkers and Chatbots

These new methods of delivering technology-enabled primary care offer novel ways for patients to access care directly, for providers to gain greater visibility into the patient's life and experience, and for both sides of the care loop to communicate. If primary care barriers to access, burden, and costs are not addressed, patients will continue to move towards solutions that offer convenience but do not help with long-term care and needs, such as retail and urgent health clinics. These technology solutions offer ways to not just improve care, but to support value-based payment models that will soon be the norm.

Lead analyst Alex Lennox-Miller notes, "The technology-enabled primary care office is still concerned with the long-term well-being of its patients. These new solutions offer different ways to engage with patients, expanding the relationship and ability to deliver care in the home and throughout the patient's life."

Each type of solution (Telehealth; Virtual & Remote Care Platforms; and AI-Enabled Assistants, Symptom Checkers and Chatbots) is evaluated based how it affects barriers to access, burden, and costs for both providers and patients. The report provides important information about use cases, subcategories of product offerings, reimbursement options, and other obstacles to adoption for each type of solution.

In addition to the categorical analyses, the report includes 11 short profiles of major and promising vendors, with three to four vendors identified per solution type. Each profile includes product differentiators and vendor-specific impact on access, burden, and costs.

Primary care practice managers and medical directors looking to alleviate challenges in their own practices through technology will appreciate the report's clear breakdown of impacts for both themselves as providers and their patients, plus identification of leading vendors in each category. Payers, including self-insured employers, can use the report to understand the impact of covering these services both for member satisfaction as well as part of broader population health management strategies. Current and prospective solution providers of the three solution types and other solutions for the primary care market will also find this report valuable for mapping their own product strategy and evaluating their impact on access, burden, and costs.

The report is available to subscribers of the Chilmark Advisory Service or may be purchased separately. For more information, visit https://www.chilmarkresearch.com/chilmark_report/primary-care-for-the-21st-century/. Direct inquiries for purchase should be addressed to John Moore III at [email protected].

A webinar accompanying the release of this report is scheduled for Tuesday, November 12^th at 1:30pm ET/ 10:30am PT. Register here: http://go.chilmarkresearch.com/register-for-chilmark-webinar-primary-care-in-the-21st-century

About Chilmark Research:

Chilmark Research is the only industry analyst firm focusing solely on the most transformational trends in healthcare IT. We combine proven research methodologies with intelligence and insight to provide cogent analyses of the emerging technologies that have the greatest potential to improve healthcare. We do not shy away from making tough calls and are respected in the industry for our direct and thoughtful commentary. For more information visit: www.chilmarkresearch.com

Vendors Profiled: Ada Health, Aiva Health, American Well, Bright.MD, Cerner, Epic, Medocity, NeuroFlow, Orion Health, Phillips, SilverCloud Health.