Social media raises medical privacy questions

A friend recently brought to my attention a disturbing question from a psychiatrist working with a transplant team: Should she be checking the sobriety claims of liver transplant candidates by looking on their Twitter and other social media sites? That question merits discussion because it's clear both doctors and patients are entering a new world of uncertain medical privacy due to Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and other outlets. In this case, the doctor was asked to offer an opinion about a young man's eligibility for a liver transplant. The medical team would not take him if he was still drinking.