Should Doctors “Friend” Their Patients on Facebook and Other Social Media?

The Federation of State Medical Boards just released guidelines for how doctors should (and shouldn’t) use social media. You can read the Model Policy Guidelines for the Appropriate Use of Social Media and Social Networking in Medical Practice here.

Some Guidelines Reflect Common Sense

Many of the guidelines are reasonable. For example, of course doctors should not divulge patient confidences online, post insulting comments about identifiable patients, or provide specific medical advice (as opposed to general medical information) to people who are not their patients.

Other Guidelines Are More Difficult to Grasp

However, other guidelines seem far too conservative. The guidelines recommend that doctors avoid “friending” or interacting online on a personal level with current or past patients. While that prohibition might be appropriate for some doctor-patient situations (e.g., psychiatrist-patient), making social friending a universal no-no seems overly cautious as well as slightly arrogant.

Many of my doctors send me newsletters – either via email or regular snail mail. Those newsletters contain a combination of the doctors’ medical tips, professional achievements, and personal news such as photos of the doctor at an event or on vacation. As long as the social media interaction does not extend into harassment or other offensive contact, what is the problem with those doctors sharing the same information via social media networks?

Tell me what you think about this topic in the comments below.