Why Your Doctor Won't Friend You On Facebook

Doctors' practices are increasingly trying to reach their patients online. But don't expect your doctor to "friend" you on Facebook -- at least, not just yet. Physicians generally draw a line: Public professional pages -- focused on medicine, similar to those other businesses offer -- are catching on. Some might e-mail with patients. But doctors aren't ready to share vacation photos and other more intimate details with patients, or even to advise them on medication or treatment options via private chats. They're hesitant to blur the lines between personal lives and professional work and nervous about the privacy issues that could arise in discussing specific medical concerns on most Internet platforms.

Some of that may eventually change. But even the use of these professional pages raises questions: How secure are these forums for talking about often sensitive health information? When does using one complicate the doctor-patient relationship? Where should boundaries be drawn?