If you’re at all familiar with Vera, you’ve probably heard us talking about advanced primary care. It’s essential to our healthcare model, and we believe it’s a core element in the future of healthcare for the whole country. 

But what does “advanced primary care” mean, exactly? It’s much more than jargon; it’s a new way of organizing, delivering, and managing healthcare, driven by both data and relationships.

That’s why we’re so excited to announce our latest white paper, Advanced Primary Care: The Front Line Of A Health Revolution.

If you’re an employer or insurer and you’re looking for a better way, this ebook is for you. Inside, we’ll show you how advanced primary care [content], including:

• What advanced primary care is (and isn’t)
• The benefits of advanced primary care
• How APC is the changing face of healthcare

If you’re interested in learning more about how advanced primary care works and what it can offer your organization, this is the perfect place to start.

Already on board? Download your copy now:
Advanced Primary Care: The Front Line Of A Health Revolution

What is (and isn’t) advanced primary care?

Simply put, it’s what healthcare should be, but isn’t . . . yet. Advanced primary care is a data-driven methodology that emphasizes a higher quality of care, increased patient engagement and satisfaction, and improved population health. The result is better health, which in turn means fewer claims and reduced cost to the entire system due to appropriate utilization and provider efficiency.

In the current system — which relies on transactional, incident-based interactions between patients and physicians — most people see a doctor only when they’re feeling sick, and only when the situation seems dire enough to warrant the cost of a visit. 

According to a recent CNBC article, over half of Americans put off medical treatment because of cost concerns. Even those with health insurance may delay getting help until they feel so poorly that they bypass their primary care clinic altogether and go straight to the emergency room.

In this type of system, costs can quickly spiral out of control. For patients paying out of pocket, underutilizing primary care in favor of urgent care can mean the difference between a simple $150 visit vs. a trip costing thousands of dollars to treat an issue that might easily have been diagnosed and addressed beforehand.

As a result, patients are dissatisfied with their healthcare experiences — ones composed of long waits and impersonal treatment, infrequent visits to their primary physician and various specialists, and anxiety about the price tag attached.

In contrast, advanced primary care provides a more proactive and comprehensive approach. That means a focus on whole health (including social determinants that affect large populations and create risks) and building a community culture that makes health a lifestyle foundation, not an incidental benefit.

• It begins with time-rich appointments, where primary care providers trained in empathetic listening can form stronger relationships with patients instead of acting as a filter for specialist care
• Providers are able to build a more extensive understanding of a patient’s symptoms and overall health, then offer services targeted toward their specific needs. 
• Claims data analysis gives more insight into community risk factors so providers can better identify, engage, and help those most vulnerable to certain conditions and infirmities.
• Primary care providers can operate at the top of their licenses, providing treatment they’d otherwise have to refer to a specialist.
• Care coordination, when specialist care is necessary, is overseen by the primary care team. This ensures that there aren’t any gaps in care or communication. Care coordination includes proactive outreach after the patient (also known as a member) has seen a specialist, integrating any specialized care into their patient plan, and sharing information to ensure that member treatment is as up to date as possible.
• Dedicated health coaches add greater support for members, providing additional tools — like behavior change methods — to help them manage and improve their health. 

By making healthcare more convenient, accessible, and thorough, APC also helps to deliver better outcomes and higher rates of member satisfaction.

APC: A better healthcare model

Under the current system, primary care physicians in traditional clinics are hard-pressed to meet their patients’ needs for greater time, access, and services. Because of this, they’ve had to sacrifice several key touchstones — namely, time-rich appointments, strong relationships, and consistent involvement in the patient’s health journey — as a matter of necessity.

Within the advanced primary care model, the care team has everything they need to serve their patients and communities the way they were trained to.

In this model, primary care providers deliver the majority of healthcare services, from regular checkups to more serious diagnoses and treatment for injuries, infections, and chronic and acute disease, keeping the majority of a patient’s treatment in-house.

When necessary, a patient can still be referred to a specialist or an outside facility, but coordination of that treatment is managed by the primary clinic so that no gaps in vital information or care are created.

Making primary care the first and often only stop for healthcare needs, questions, and concerns gives members a greater sense of security that helps ease them away from an encounter-based approach toward richer value-driven interactions that deliver the right care to the right person at the right time.

By bringing together several disparate pieces of the healthcare system, thereby making them more accessible and understandable, APC empowers members to create and meet lifelong health goals, and physicians to act as partners and invaluable resources in the care of those they serve.