Digital transformation essentials — Primary care

March 5, 2025

Digital-first primary care enables health systems to provide digitally-enabled, consumer-centric access to end-to-end primary care services, anchored on longitudinal, whole-person care and continuity of the care team.

Primary care digital solutions

Targeted segment-specific solutions	Solutions that offer integrated or add-on services to targeted audiences, providing specialized care pathways for distinct population needs while increasing market reach and patient acquisition. Example companies: Tia, Patina Health, Folx, Oak Street Health
Virtual on-demand solutions	Platforms that enable virtual access to providers anytime, anywhere, delivering immediate care through synchronous and asynchronous modalities while reducing utilization costs and expanding geographic reach. Example companies: K Health, Teladoc, Firefly Health, Galileo, CirrusMD
Convenience-driven retail solutions	Retail clinics offering convenient, immediate brick-and-mortar access with complementary virtual services, providing consistent experience, reduced wait times, and increased consumer satisfaction through pharmacy integrations and multiple access points. Example companies: Amazon One Medical, Carbon Health, VillageMD
Preventive health and lifestyle-based solutions	Multidisciplinary long-term care models focused on prevention and wellness, with high-touch in-person and virtual services that reduce downstream costs and enhance chronic condition management through digital health tools. Example companies: Carbon Health, MDVIP, Amazon OneMedical
Value-based solutions	Care delivery models that take on risk to manage patient care costs and offer preventative and wellness programs for unique populations, delivering improved outcomes and reduced total cost of care through integrated health solutions. Example companies: Oak Street Health, ChenMed, VillageMD, Cityblock Health
Primary care transformation enablers	Platforms and services that equip traditional primary care practices with the capabilities, technologies, and operational models needed to succeed in value-based arrangements and digital-first delivery without replacing the core practice. Example companies: Lumeris, Aledade, Privia Health

The case for digital in primary care

Healthcare organizations face a critical supply-demand imbalance in primary care delivery that threatens both patient outcomes and business sustainability. Traditional one-size-fits-all approaches to care delivery are proving insufficient amid workforce shortages and evolving consumer expectations. While digital-first primary care offers transformative potential, health systems struggle to implement these capabilities at scale without robust digital solutions that address their specific challenges.

Transform clinical care delivery

The primary care workforce is at an all-time low, with two out of every five currently active physicians projected to be 65 or older within the next decade, and one in five PCPs expecting to leave the field within the next three years.¹ By 2034, a projected shortage of between 17,800 and 48,000 primary care physicians will further strain access to essential preventive and chronic care services.² Digital-first primary care practices address this critical shortage by fundamentally reimagining how primary care is delivered, not just by adding digital tools to traditional models. These comprehensive digital practices enable physicians to care for larger patient panels through innovative care delivery models that leverage team-based approaches and digital care pathways. By completely reimagining primary care delivery through digital platforms rather than merely digitizing existing processes, health systems can deliver high-quality care more efficiently while addressing the growing workforce crisis.

Drive market growth and competitive advantage

Consumer expectations for healthcare are rapidly evolving, with 90% of health systems being outperformed when it comes to providing seamless, integrated digital experiences.³ One in four consumers report willingness to switch to a primary care provider that offers virtual options, signaling a critical competitive advantage for organizations that embrace comprehensive digital primary care practices.⁴ These solutions can help health systems improve patient acquisition and expand geographic reach without physical infrastructure investment, facilitating market entry and growth in previously untapped communities. Organizations deploying complete digital primary care models can expand into new markets with less capital than traditional brick-and-mortar expansions while achieving comparable patient volume growth, with opportunities ranging from direct-to-consumer subscription models to value-based care arrangements with payers.

Optimize financial performance

Healthcare organizations face intensifying financial pressures from rising labor costs, shifting reimbursement models, and market competition. Complete digital primary care practices provide a pathway to financial sustainability through fundamentally different operating models. These virtual primary care models excel at preventive care, chronic condition management, and mental health services—three areas where early intervention dramatically reduces downstream costs.⁵ As such, they can help health systems generate savings through multiple mechanisms: preventing unnecessary emergency department visits, reducing readmissions through better transitions of care, and lowering out-of-pocket expenses for patients through a more efficient delivery model. As healthcare payment shifts toward risk-bearing arrangements, comprehensive digital primary care practices can provide the distinct operating models needed to succeed in next-generation reimbursement models while maintaining financial sustainability.

Digital transformation essentials — Primary care

Primary care digital solutions

The case for digital in primary care

Transform clinical care delivery

Drive market growth and competitive advantage

Optimize financial performance

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