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Reflections from the Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians Conference: How Emerging Trends in Family Medicine Reinforce the Shift to Value-Based Care

Family medicine is at a crossroads. Clinicians face rising prevalence of chronic diseases, growing mental health needs, widening health inequities — and increasing pressure to do more with less. At this year’s Massachusetts Academy of Family Physicians (MassAFP) Conference, these challenges took center stage, alongside the innovations and policy shifts that could help meet them.

Our team had the opportunity to attend this year’s conference, which brought together clinicians, educators, and healthcare leaders from across the state. The sessions spanned a wide range of issues — from chronic disease and AI to mental health and health equity — and offered a vivid picture of how family medicine is evolving.

At Pearl Health, we’re deeply invested in the future of primary care. The themes from this year’s conference reinforced what we see every day: physicians need new tools, new incentives, and new models to deliver truly proactive, patient-centered care. Value-based care isn’t just a framework — it’s a path forward.

5 Key Themes at the MassAFP Conference

  1. Evidence-Based Medicine: A New Era in Chronic Care
One thing was clear from the conference: chronic condition management is changing — and fast. From the rapid uptake of GLP-1s and SGLT2 inhibitors to revised dietary guidance for prediabetic patients, primary care clinicians are navigating a wave of new research and treatment options. The discussions extended beyond clinical guidelines to broader lifestyle and environmental factors. Cannabis use, adolescent mental health, and exposure to environmental toxins (like lead and cadmium in consumer products) all came up as complex risk factors requiring nuanced, ongoing support. But delivering that kind of support takes time — and time is scarce in a fee-for-service world. Value-based care changes the equation by rewarding longitudinal, trust-based relationships. At Pearl, our platform helps clinicians identify rising-risk patients early and focus their time where it has the greatest impact — on prevention, not just treatment.
  1. AI in Clinical Practice: Potential and Responsibility
Artificial intelligence was a major focus at this year’s event, with lively conversations around AI scribes, ambient documentation, and clinical decision support. The potential is significant: reduce administrative burden, improve documentation, and streamline workflows. But the message wasn’t hype — it was responsibility. As AI becomes more integrated into care, clinicians must learn how to use it thoughtfully, safely, and equitably. At Pearl, we see AI not as a replacement, but as an enhancement to human care. That’s why we’re actively building AI-powered tools to help practices prioritize patients, surface critical insights, and reduce clerical burden — giving physicians more time for what matters most: the patient.
  1. Whole-Person Health and Mental Wellbeing
Another key theme was whole-person health — the recognition that physical health is inseparable from mental, emotional, and social wellbeing. Sessions covered everything from micronutrient support for depression to goal-setting strategies and alternative therapies. This resonates deeply with our mission. Whole-person care demands continuity, context, and trust — qualities that are hard to sustain when visits are short, fragmented, and transactional. Value-based models enable a more personalized, relational approach to care — and at Pearl, we’re helping practices build that continuity through better data, smarter alerts, and aligned incentives.
  1. Health Equity and the Full Spectrum of Care
From gender-affirming care and immigrant health to end-of-life planning, the conference made clear that equitable care must be inclusive, culturally competent, and responsive to diverse needs. There was growing emphasis on social determinants of health (SDOH) — like housing, food access, and transportation — as central to patient outcomes. This is where value-based care delivers on its promise. By shifting the focus from volume to value, clinicians gain the flexibility to address root causes, not just symptoms. Pearl’s technology helps practices track key social drivers, coordinate follow-up, and flag patients at risk of falling through the cracks — so care teams can intervene early and often.
  1. Policy and Advocacy: Shaping the Future of Primary Care
Policy change was front and center — from debates over Medicare for All to discussions on physician burnout and grassroots advocacy. One resounding message: clinicians must have a seat at the table in shaping the future of care. At Pearl, we believe strengthening primary care is one of the most powerful levers for fixing our healthcare system. That means advocating for policies that make value-based care sustainable, accessible, and actionable — not just in theory, but in day-to-day practice.

Moving Forward

The MassAFP Conference was a powerful reminder that family medicine is both the foundation of our healthcare system — and a frontier for innovation. Whether it’s adopting new treatment models, embracing AI, or driving policy reform, the transformation of primary care is already underway.

Pearl Health is proud to stand with clinicians at the forefront of that change — supporting them with the technology, services, and payment models they need to deliver proactive, efficient, and patient-centered care.

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Colin Gibbons

Director, Enterprise Partnerships, Pearl Health

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