VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Is it difficult to get in touch with your doctor? Do you wish you could chat with them on Twitter or Facebook?

Just a day after the outgoing president of the Canadian Medical Association called on doctors to use more of a “human touch,” one expert says providing better care doesn’t mean doctors should add patients on Facebook.

“I get fairly frequent calls from physicians, asking about the guidelines around social media. That usually happens because a patient has tried to contact them through Facebook,” explains Dr. Ailve McNestry with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC.

She tells them that is a big no-no.

“The real caution that we will issue is in relation to patients, in terms of respecting the boundary between the physician and the patient, which is a two-way boundary,” she explains.

A lot of doctors have websites and blogs to network and provide health education; McNestry says that’s okay. But creating relationships outside of professional work hours is unethical and can cause problems.