Quarterbacking Care: How AI Can Help PCPs
Sometimes you read something and think, “Yes, this is the drum I’ve been beating for years.”
That’s how I felt reading The Starfield Signal, a joint report from the American Academy of Family Physicians and Rock Health.
The report outlines a shared vision for how AI can help primary care achieve its full potential, if we get the implementation right. As a former primary care physician who left practice early due to burnout, I thoroughly agree. This conversation is long overdue.
The State of Primary Care: At a Crossroads
Primary care is the foundation of a healthier, more equitable health system. Yet in the U.S., more than 100 million people lack access to a usual source of care. The workforce is aging, shrinking, and exhausted. Payment models reward volume over prevention. And continuity, the heart of primary care, is eroding.
I’ve seen both sides of this coin: the deep satisfaction of knowing patients over years and the crushing administrative burden that squeezes the humanity out of the work.
At the same time, we’re standing at a technological inflection point. AI is entering clinical practice faster than any previous innovation with clinician interest in adopting and leveraging AI in more facets of clinical work. Used well, it could help us reclaim what’s best about primary care. Used poorly, it could deepen inequities, fragment care, and accelerate burnout.
Five “Beacons” for AI in Primary Care
The report lays out five guiding goals (called beacons in the report) for AI’s role:
1️⃣ Preserve continuity & prevention by integrating AI into ongoing patient relationships, not just episodic “point solutions.”
2️⃣ Personalize care in ways that build trust and reflect lived experiences.
3️⃣ Steward shared decision-making, making primary care the quarterback in a fragmented system.
4️⃣ Drive population health with proactive, equity-focused outreach.
5️⃣ Enable true team-based care, letting every member work at “top of purpose.”
These are not futuristic fantasies. They’re achievable if AI is designed with primary care’s core values in mind.
The Barriers We Must Overcome
Unfortunately, here’s the reality: This vision will fail without tackling three systemic barriers head-on.
Misaligned payment models that undervalue prevention and team-based care.
Inadequate infrastructure, especially the lack of interoperability and usable longitudinal data.
Lack of trust among clinicians and patients.
The report is clear: Policy reform, governance standards, AI literacy, and equitable access are must haves, not “nice to haves.”
Why This Matters Now
As someone who has worked on both sides of the stethoscope—caring for patients and building digital health products—I believe AI offers a rare opportunity to:
Reduce administrative burden
Restore joy in practice
Keep patients at the center of care
It will only happen if we co-design tools with primary care clinicians, not just for them.
The future of primary care is being written right now. If we’re intentional, collaborative, and equity-focused, AI can help tell a story worth reading—one where both patients and clinicians thrive.
Full report: https://rockhealth.com/insights/the-starfield-signal-a-shared-vision-and-roadmap-for-ai-in-primary-care
If you’re working on AI in primary care—or want to champion equitable healthcare access—I’d love to collaborate with you. 🔗 https://www.hanhlemd.com/#services
