Independent research highlights significant benefits of AI-assisted primary care
A new study from Phyx Primary Care Innovation Lab found that AI co-pilots can greatly mitigate value-based primary care practices. The lab’s independent evaluation examines Navina’s AI copilot, a clinical assistant who is integrated into existing electronic health record (EHRS) solutions. The results show that physician burnout, document efficiency, and measurable improvements in key value-based care metrics after AI tools were deployed in 19 primary care practices. Participated doctors reported spending less time on heavy paperwork and more time on patient care while achieving better risk scores and quality ratings.
For clinics accustomed to paid services, value-based care (or VBC) represents a wholesale transition from count access to measurement results. The operating lift is very steep. Most primary care groups face a set of value-based obligations such as precise risk adjustment, quality reporting and real-time utilization management. Today, many groups have spanned the cost and value-based models for services, creating what is known as the “two canoes”, an administrative balancing behavior that enhances burnout risks with little bandwidth for patient care.
Navina helps face this challenge by deploying powerful AI to integrate fragmented patient data, consulting notes, prior access, and more to integrate clinical decisions, documentation and coding at the point of care. Instead of clicking dozens of labels, the doctor saw an integrated view of the patient’s medical history, proactive problems and care opportunities. Navina flag potential diagnosis highlights care gaps such as missing appropriate documentation for chronic conditions and recommends proper risk adjustment code and quality operations in real time. Each actionable insight is related to the original clinical evidence.
One of the most compelling results in the study was the reduction of administrative workload. A survey of 120 primary care physicians using Navina’s AI copy found that the average chart review time for complex visits fell by 40%. Doctors also reported that their chart review burden dropped by 24%, while their entry into the appointment share reached a fully prepared rose efficiency of 12%.
These benefits are translated into tangible relief from doctors. Using its Primary Care Vital Signs® framework, Phyx researchers found that physician burnout in this cohort decreased by 32%, accompanied by a 23% decline in reported dissatisfaction with their work. 84% of doctors said they would recommend Navina to colleagues – confident in the value of the solution.
The physicians under investigation said this effect in their own words. “Assistant found new diagnoses hidden in the record – I would miss it. It could be the difference between staying floating or falling behind,” said one physician. “This makes me wish we could do value-based care work.”
Navina’s AI Copilot goes beyond improving the professional well-being of doctors and can also improve performance metrics that directly affect the bottom line and quality ratings of each value-based healthcare organization. Navina reminds doctors that they have evidence-based diagnosis and HCC recommendations. According to the report, together with Navina “Please visit the documentation to complete before the patient leaves the examination room.transparent At the end of the visit, doctors can be confident that their charts are “accurate, compliant, reflecting the complete clinical picture – essential for VBC performance.transparent
Data backups have these qualitative improvements. 91% of Navina’s HCC recommendations were made by doctors during their visit, with 73% of them eventually accepted as documents. This more thorough capture of patient complexity leads to measurable improvements in risk scores. On average, these practices see their risk-adjusting factor (RAF), a key value-based payment metric that increases +0.153, indicating that the literature on disease burden has improved. Quality indicators have also improved: Clinic reports average +1.9 points of gain Their star quality ratings are among 32 measures from preventive screening to chronic disease management. These improvements translate directly into higher shared savings and performance incentives based on value contracts.
Crucially, doctors trust Navena’s AI, 92% of whom reported trusting their assistant’s HCC coding recommendations and 85% trusted their diagnostic tips. It is worth noting that 94% of physicians find the tool easy to use and access during the workflow, demonstrating the importance of seamless integration with existing clinical workflows. It was followed by: 90% of doctors used Navina’s AI co-pilot at least weekly at the end of the trial. In short, the solution gains both trust and “stickiness” from frontline users, with a good attitude to continuously improve.
For healthcare leaders and primary care physicians, AI assistants tailored to VBC are no longer futuristic good people, but practical necessity. For doctors struggling with an increasing number of paperwork and performance goals, tools like Navina’s may provide a lifeline that improves the quality of care and financial outcomes while keeping doctors focused on what matters most: the patients in front of them.
Read the full Phyx Innovation Lab report here.
