The British Medical Association issued advice urging medics and students not to blur the boundaries with people they are treating or have treated in the past, for example by accepting a Facebook friendship request.

It warned that doctors and medical students who use sites such as Facebook and Twitter carelessly could be "risking their privacy, damaging their professionalism and risking the doctor-patient relationship".

The guidance says: "Given the greater accessibility of personal information, entering into informal relationships with patients on sites like Facebook can increase the likelihood of inappropriate boundary transgressions, particularly where previously there existed only a professional relationship between a doctor and patient.

"Difficult ethical issues can arise if, for example, doctors become party to information about their patients that is not disclosed as part of a clinical consultation.

"The BMA recommends that doctors and medical students who receive friend requests from current or former patients should politely refuse and explain to the patient the reasons why it would be inappropriate for them to accept the request."

Key points made in the advice include taking steps to keep personal information private, while being aware that this is not always possible on the internet.

Reference:http://www.caernarfonherald.co.uk/caernarfon-county-news/uk-world-news/2011/07/14/doctors-warned-of-social-media-risk-88817-29050440/