I'm on the side of the goodies, but not going overboard with them. More than that, if a nurse or receptionist treats you particularly well, a thank you note to the DOCTOR, commending his nurse, means a huge amount.

A good thank you note is also quite sufficient and really appreciated.

Does it depend on the circumstances or the office or hospital situation?
The times I've brought gifts of food and the like it's always been readily at times greedily received...So I thought. Now does that mean I have to re-think how I can show simple appreciation for a good support staff? Not just the docs but the staff that are the ones that often times are the ones making the doc more accessabile and any billing/records/appointment issues soo much easier? Those staff people are MY heroes at times, often important times...How can I be PC and thank them appropriately? IF not food, How then? I mean, it's OK for drug reps to come to offices and 'bring lunch' for the whole office...we certainly can't do that.....nor should that be solicitated of patients...but...

I really want to show appreciation, as does Kmeb, to the folks, all the right folks who really do GOOD by/to us, the patients. Any and all perspectives/input is really appreciated! I for one, feel more confused now than before! Is it a hospital, therapy, testing, professional office/site thing that determines the protocol? - j

In my case I beleive that any doctor who treated me with respect & courtesy and didn't dismiss me as a head case because I have a "difficult to diagnose illness", deserves the biggest milk chocolate chip cookie I can get my hands on.

But I know it's not always appropriate to give or receive. Administrators,regulators,and policy makers generally tend to be more cautious because they have to. Lower level staff are in the trenches and probably would take a small offering at face value.

Though I must say I had an auntie who used food and gifts as a way to manipulate doctors and nurses. She was a known "doctor shopper", and lived off of free samples of just about everything. She became a major pill addict well into her 70's as a result. Doctor's could not resist her,and nobody could imagine that this sweet little old lady was a major pill popper.

She used to show us the pills she "scored", with such pride like she was showing you her wedding photos.

Needless to say it was really weird!

The simplest and most well received is a sincere THANK YOU - both in person and/or an appropriately addressed note/card.