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5 things your family doctor wishes you would do

These simple, expert-approved health tips could save your life.


LearnHealth practices5 things your family doctor wishes you would do
Think outside of the pill bottle
Make an action plan
Keep a health notebook
Don’t stop medications on your own
Ask for advice about any and everything

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Your general practitioner's (GPs) office is your healthcare home base. Your GP has probably stood by you through everything from worrisome new symptoms, to medication changes, to hospital stays and more. It’s their job to keep track of all your conditions and every part of your body. That means they stay pretty busy, but there are some things you can do to help them take the best possible care of you.

“The thing I think all practitioners want is for their patients to be accountable for their own health,” says Robin Miller, MD, an internal medicine doctor and Sharecare Editorial Advisory Board member.

Here are five things your GP wishes you'd do.

Written by Rose Hayes, MA, RN.
Medically reviewed by Megan Burke, MD.March, 2026
Updated onAugust, 2026
Written by Rose Hayes, MA, RN.
Medically reviewed by Megan Burke, MD.March, 2026
Updated onAugust, 2026
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