Social networking is a squishy place for healthcare professionals but when it comes to bringing in business, the appeal is obvious.
In June, Dr. Katherine Chretien wrote an opinion piece in USA Today titled "Please don't 'friend' me" in which she talked about the ethical danger of having a patient want to communicate with her via Facebook. The assistant professor of medicine at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., worried that any communication with a patient on a public platform like Facebook could pose a violation of HIPPA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
