Social Media and the Doctor-Patient Relationship

Traditionally physicians could depend on some degree of separation between their personal lives and work duties.  When a physician can compartmentalize each aspect of their world, it is easier to cope with the disappointments, the "bad things happening to good people", and the terminal illnesses that are encountered everyday in the hospital.  Many physicians argue that this is what allows them to carry out their duties. However, a recent NY Times article illustrates how social media is bringing these two worlds crashing into one another.

A patient no longer remains an abstract entity; they are someone like us, tweeting, friending, and facebook-stalking.  As these new connections are developed, how will it affect physician's ability to separate themselves from the emotional aspects of treating medical disease.  Is this a good thing?  Should those worlds be separated?  Would you want to "friend" your physician?  Regardless, the lives of the patient and physician are drawn closer through IT.