Artificial intelligence in primary care: innovation at a crossroads
Despite being a cornerstone of health-care delivery, primary care is increasingly under strain.The latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) offer new opportunities to transform primary care.However, the rapid deployment of AI ahead of robust real-world evaluation or regulation raises concerns about unintended consequences on the quality of care.We review applications of AI in primary care, covering AI to support primary care providers and people with their health.This Review considers the impact of AI applications on different domains of health-care quality-effectiveness, safety, timeliness, efficiency, patient-centred care, health-care provider experience, equity, and planetary health-and on the primary care-specific attributes of accessibility, comprehensiveness, coordination, and continuity.Implementation of AI in primary care benefits from careful consideration of these quality domains, a focus on universal design principles, digital determinants of health, and AI health literacy, and alignment with patient experiences and values, to support the transformation towards sustainable and high-quality AI-enabled primary care.
Authors
- Liliana Laranjo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1020-3402)
- J. Jaime Miranda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4738-5468)
- Ana Luísa Neves (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7107-7211)
- Rebecca Payne (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8954-7584)
- Lorainne Tudor Car (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8414-7664)
- Michael Kidd (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0221-1245)
Institutions
- University College of the North (CA)
- Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (GB)
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Bangor University (GB)
- King's College London (GB)
- Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (PE)
- UNSW Sydney (AU)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Westmead Institute for Medical Research (AU)
- Imperial College London (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- The Lancet Primary Care
- Published
- 2025-12-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanprc.2025.100078
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.31
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- David and Elaine Potter Foundation
- UK Research and Innovation
- Bloomberg Philanthropies
- International Development Research Centre
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
- Academy of Medical Sciences
- Ian Potter Foundation
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
- Department for International Development
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
- Grand Challenges Canada
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Tecnológica
- Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research
- World Diabetes Foundation
- Directorate for Biological Sciences
- Gillings School of Public Health
- Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Medical Research Council
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico, Tecnológico y de Innovación Tecnológica
- NIHR Imperial Biomedical Research Centre
- National Institute on Aging
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- National Institute of Mental Health
- National Cancer Institute
- Fogarty International Center
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases