20 Things a Great Primary Care Doctor Does for You

The right PCP helps you catch silent problems early, avoid unnecessary tests, and stay healthy for the long run.

Welcome to the Healthy Aging Newsletter, a free publication translating trustworthy medical research into simple habits to age well, free of chronic disease. I’m Dr. Ashori, a family medicine doctor turned health coach.

1. Genuine Empathy

I can say the words that make you feel cared for. But actually caring about your overall health is much more important.

Whatever your concerns are and however you approach your health, a good primary care doctor can help you feel supported.

2. They Know Your Story

No two patients are alike. The PCP who sees you as the individual that you are will notice subtle changes and catch early patterns.

The recommendations they’ll have for you will work because it’s not a cookie cutter approach.

3. Master Communicator

I’m only as effective as how well I communicate with my patient. Each of us needs the right PCP based on how we communicate.

Text, voice, email, video, or photos - a great doctor knows how to get their message across. They’ll make sure it’s understood.

4. Early Detection

The disease I help my patient prevent is the disease they don’t ever have to treat.

The CDC says that 70% of chronic diseases and premature deaths are preventable. Catching the risk early is my greatest hidden talent.

5. Prevention That Works

Vague guidance or generic advice is tough to incorporate into your life.

Most of us need a clear roadmap and course correction when we hit hurdles. A good PCP can keep you on track and know when to intervene.

6. Medication Safety

We’re entering the prescription era but without the necessary rigorous research to ensure safety. Research paper often are marketing documents.

When it comes to choosing a prescription, the goal is to use the ones that don’t break the bank and have the best evidence backing them.

7. Navigating The System

The best PCPs are the ones who understand the healthcare system you’re in. Even in Germany or Australia, you need someone to guide you.

This primary care doctor won’t just refer you to any old specialist, they know the best ones in the community. You’ll spend more time feeling healthy than doing research.

8. Advocacy

The system will always push back for the sake of profits. The right PCP is on your side and helps you get the tests done you really need, not just the ones the insurance approved.

They know the rules and laws and can advocate for their patients better than a judge.

9. Coordinating Care

One PCP will send you off into the dark to a random specialist and it’s on your to figure it all out. Another will be in constant touch with your specialist, genuinely coordinating your care.

When I refer to a specialist, I don’t want them to take over. I want their best input so I can manage my patient according to our established plan.

10. Lower Healthcare Costs

I’ll save my patient unnecessary ER visits, surgeries, medications, and get them the right care at the right price.

A great PCP is the best curator of resources. If necessary, I can send you to a cash-based surgery center or help you get your medication from a pharmacy in Canada.

11. Managing Long-Term Conditions

One PCP will prescribe all of the right medications, without really addressing the underlying problem of preventable conditions.

My goal is to help my patient need fewer meds, tests, or have complications from their chronic diseases.

This requires constant tweaking, discussions, and educating my patient.

12. Behavioral Health Support

Mental health is often even more important than physical, because it’s upstream of it. And access to good mental health is absent in most healthcare systems.

I help my patients master stress, anxiety, sleep, and burnout so they don’t develop depression and substance use disorder.

13. When Not to Intervene

Our modern healthcare system is designed around more and more interventions, regardless of whether it helps or hurts the patient in the long-run.

I know from experience and the data when to avoid overtreatment, harmful testing, or side effects from unnecessary care.

14. Lifestyle Coaching

Your PCP should understand lifestyle decisions and perhaps even have a personal lifestyle structure they follow, as an example.

A good primary care doctor will offer you realistic plans for food, movement, and stress. They’ll hold you accountable without judgment.

15. Protecting Your Values

My patient’s goals guide our decisions. If a primary care doctor doesn’t spend the time to understand their patient’s definition of ‘health’ they can’t be an advocate.

A PCP should respect boundaries and align their care with what is most important to the patient (not the establishment.)

16. Politics in the Exam Room

Patient first, evidence second, politics never. Moralizing or judging my patient for their beliefs serves no one.

The only agenda that matters is the one my patient values the most and a good primary care doctor can help their patient without ever injecting their own politics.

17. Patient-First Mindset

A great PCP will prioritize your health over profits. You won’t feel the pressure to overtest or overtreat.

Each decision in your primary care needs is aimed at your long-term wellbeing with full transparency.

18. Catching Invisible Risks

Western medicine operates on finding a disease for which there is a profitable treatment. That’s not the best way to stay health.

Your primary care doctor should screen you for the earliest possible risk. They can see your potential future pitfalls and help you protect against them.

Actions should be taken before symptoms start.

19. Whole-Person Care

Physical, emotional, social, lifestyle, and spiritual are the many cells that make up our whole-person wellbeing. There is no way to get good care without addressing the necessary components.

20. Confidence in Your Health

The primary care doctor that knows you and your history and is truly committed will create a stable home base for any of your health questions or concerns.

You want the primary care doctor who can give you the peace of mind that your health is taken care of.

And if you’re looking for a primary care doctor in California, take a look at my direct primary care membership at www.drashori.com.

The information here is for general education. It is not medical advice. Reading or listening does not create a patient–doctor relationship with me. I care about each subscriber and want you to get care that fits your life and medical needs. Always speak with your own licensed clinician before starting, stopping, or changing any health plan, medication, or routine.