Scaling advanced primary care through technology

How interoperability and AI are making coordinated, patient-centered care achievable at last

Advanced primary care has been proven to deliver better outcomes and higher patient satisfaction — yet scaling the model has remained elusive. That’s beginning to change as interoperability and AI team up to make coordinated, team-based care available in more settings.

At the HLTH 2025 conference, I joined a panel with Dr. Amy Parikh, Chief Health Officer at Included Health; Dr. Joel Vikrant, who leads global employee health strategy at Google; and moderator Siobhan Mangini, Partner at Venrock, to explore what sets APC apart from traditional primary care — and why now is the moment it can grow.

Achieving the quadruple aim

Advanced primary care is the perfect example of how we can meet the quadruple aim: improving patient experience, improving population health, reducing costs, and enhancing the clinician experience.

Traditional primary care, which focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of individual health issues as they arise, has long been constrained by limited time, fragmented data, and fee-for-service incentives. By contrast, APC creates a coordinated, team-based, and data-driven model of care that is designed to meet patients where they are and actively manage a broader spectrum of their health and wellness needs. At its best, it uses technology not to add complexity, but to remove it — so clinicians can focus on care, not clicks.

Technology as the backbone of integration

Technology is the connective tissue of advanced primary care. You cannot deliver on the promise of coordinated, holistic care without interoperability and data liquidity — and without the ability for behavioral health specialists, pharmacists, primary care clinicians, and social workers to see the same longitudinal patient record.

But data can also make care deeply personal. One of the most powerful examples of how AI and interoperability can improve primary care was shared by Dr. Parikh from Included Health: using data to match patients and clinicians based on what they each prefer. Two people in the same neighborhood searching for a doctor may see different recommendations because their health needs, goals, and histories are different. That kind of personalization builds trust, drives engagement, and improves outcomes.

The same data-driven logic applies to clinicians. When clinicians can share the kinds of care they’re most passionate about — whether it’s supporting patients through menopause, managing chronic conditions, or guiding lifestyle change — it creates stronger relationships and more meaningful encounters when those practitioners are matched with patients who fit their passions. Technology makes those connections both visible and actionable.

When insights — such as recent test results, care gaps, or cost-effective treatment alternatives — are available right in the workflow and the clinician can connect with that patient at that moment, technology truly serves the human side of care.

Meeting patients where they are

Access and engagement are central to APC’s success. The model only works if patients can reach care easily, and if they stay engaged between visits and adhere to their care plans. Dr. Vikrant from Google shared how they’re putting that principle into action for their employees. By using AI and data to personalize care pathways, Google has turned static benefits into dynamic, responsive health journeys. The results speak for themselves: many employees engaging with advanced primary care had gone several years without seeing a doctor. Now, they’re re-entering care in ways that are more convenient, less fragmented, and more sustainable, on their terms.

Technology enables that flexibility. Whether through virtual visits, in-person appointments, or secure messaging, patients need care that fits their lives. By simplifying scheduling, extending communication beyond the office, and supporting continuity of care, technology helps sustain the relationship at the heart of primary care. As a technology partner to organizations like Included Health, we see how data can power both efficiency and empathy — helping clinicians spend less time searching for information and more time connecting with their patients.

At athenahealth, that’s what we mean by creating a thriving ecosystem: one that connects everyone who touches the patient’s journey, surfaces the right insights at the point of care, and makes them actionable in real time. Clinicians shouldn’t have to navigate multiple systems or payer portals to make informed decisions. When insights — such as recent test results, care gaps, or cost-effective treatment alternatives — are available right in the workflow and the clinician can connect with that patient at that moment, technology truly serves the human side of care.

Advanced primary care is not a new concept; technology has finally caught up to the vision. With interoperable systems, AI-enabled workflows, and a renewed focus on both the patient and clinician experience, we can make advanced primary care scalable and sustainable.

What once felt aspirational now feels achievable. And that’s something worth building toward. I’m proud of the role we’re playing at athenahealth to make that vision a reality — and I look forward to continuing our journey to cure healthcare complexity.

Dr. Nele Jessel is the Chief Medical Officer at athenahealth and co-chair of the athenaInstitute.