[Halibut]

The thread about Dr. Moskowitz made me think -- what does a good bedside manner mean to you? What do you expect from your primary physician? Is that different from what you expect from specialists? What would make you switch doctors?

My primary left her practice and I started seeing the doctor who took her place. She was formerly a hospitalist at Leesburg and I gotta say, she hasn't yet developed an especially warm manner with patients. I don't need my doctor to be super friendly as long as he/she is knowledeable and willing to listen, but I've also found that her first reaction to anything seems to be to refer me to a specialist. I'm not expecting her to last long, to be honest.

The thing that has made me switch doctors is rude or incompetent office staff, including front desk, nurses, and PAs. I'm not sure doctors fully realize how big a part their staff plays in patient satisfaction.