Should you 'friend' your doctor on Facebook?

Most Facebook users debate about whether they should "friend" a co-worker or boss, but what about a doctor? While social networking and e-mail may offer easy access to a doctor who is typically hard to reach, getting too cozy online could carry some serious ramifications -- for both the patient and the doctor.

"While the public might be receptive to 'friending' doctors, most physicians won't be in a hurry to use social media with their patients," says Dr. Michael Kirsch, a gastroenterologist who writes the blog MD Whistleblower. "Physician Facebookers would not want patients to have access to their vacation photos and personal vignettes, many of which are private for a reason. Reading comments on a doctor's Facebook wall might show how that the physician is really 'off the wall.'"