Medical Mystery Shoppers

I posted this in a response to another thread, but I think some others may appreciate the info.


There are "secret shopper" trainings going on in hospitals across the country right now.

Patient Visits* Using real-life situations with a predetermined scenario, mystery patients will present as patients with symptoms of a non-threatening matter. They will provide information about the total patient experience, including interactions with all staff, such as phone attendant, lab technicians, front-desk staff, nurses, and physicians. Mystery patients will also provide narrative information and feelings about the care environment, waiting time, waiting room, and exam rooms. Patient visits can be used in Urgent Care/ER, clinics, and other outpatient areas.

baird-group.com...
"secret shoppers" are going into hospitals complaining of ebola like symptoms to test how facilities respond.

Meanwhile, in a “secret shopper” initiative, people posing as patients who claim they just traveled with Ebola-like symptoms will be sent to hospitals to test out the response.

newyork.cbslocal.com...


There will be quite a few more of these false reports over the next months.

a reply to: captaintyinknots

Convenient time to do this, huh? This way they can write off ebola victims on the rise as secret shoppers...FALSE FLAG???

Wow, timing is everything and this is just suspicious to me!

a reply to: Chrisfishenstein

Its a tough one. They HAVE to start making sure america is ready to handle this. But it also sure does seem eerily similar to other "drills" that were taking place when real events occurred.

Thanks for this info,good to know-as long as people don't become complacent.While this may keep the medical authorities on their toes,the public should bear in mind that every new suspected case that's published,May just be the real deal.I would advise awareness during one's daily routine,especially if you live in a big city with many immigrants-try to touch as little as possible,carry hand sanitiser on your person,use it regularly,and where ever possible,use a barrier like a tissue between your bare hands and surfaces,like ATM machines,railings+such.Many ways to minimise the risk of catching bugs going around,aside from Ebola.Flu is'nt exactly pleasant either.a reply to: captaintyinknots

a reply to: captaintyinknots

I agree we need to be prepared but why wait until it is here? When it was running rampant in Africa, why not see what procedures were in place just in case the worst case scenario happened? Being proactive is a thing of the past apparently, it seems we only react when needed...That is a recipe for failure!

I can't get past the timing of this! This will be the reason for a massive coverup!

originally posted by: Raxoxane
Thanks for this info,good to know-as long as people don't become complacent.While this may keep the medical authorities on their toes,the public should bear in mind that every new suspected case that's published,May just be the real deal.I would advise awareness during one's daily routine,especially if you live in a big city with many immigrants-try to touch as little as possible,carry hand sanitiser on your person,use it regularly,and where ever possible,use a barrier like a tissue between your bare hands and surfaces,like ATM machines,railings+such.Many ways to minimise the risk of catching bugs going around,aside from Ebola.Flu is'nt exactly pleasant either.a reply to: captaintyinknots

Im with you all the way up until two points:

1)immigrants arent the problem. Once the virus is here, it doesnt discriminate.

2)I would caution against overuse of hand sanitizer. Soap and hot water is better. Hardcore viruses grow resistant to hand sanitizers.

originally posted by: Chrisfishenstein
a reply to: captaintyinknots

I agree we need to be prepared but why wait until it is here? When it was running rampant in Africa, why not see what procedures were in place just in case the worst case scenario happened? Being proactive is a thing of the past apparently, it seems we only react when needed...That is a recipe for failure!

I can't get past the timing of this! This will be the reason for a massive coverup!

Im with ya, at best its a case of "a day late and a dollar short".

its either yet another example of gov't incompetence, or of their nefarious plans.

With Ebola it's new but they've had medical secret shoppers for awhile now. They usually go in pretending to have certain ailments to see how well the new docs/docs in training handle the case. It's also to test their level of awareness and medical expertise.

Kramer did it once on Seinfeld.

Hi captain,I misspoke-not immigrants,I meant travellers from high-risk countries,should've made myself clearer.With the US not banning travel from high-risk countries,or at least quarantining them,the risk is proportionally bigger the larger the population center.Immigrants who don't travel to and from high-risk countries pose no risk,by themselves.Imo,visiting relatives of Any citizen,natural-born or immigrant, should be quarantined if the relatives are from high-risk countries.If their passports are checked and shows recent stamps from high-risk countries,for the sake of everyone concerned,they should be quarantined,as the Russian government is doing

Yes I've heard that overuse of or dependence on hand sanitizer alone,is not wise,but in public places,facilities for washing with soap and water are not always available-or inconvenient/unhygienic in itself,so personally i would use it as a hygienic aid,not as a sole means of prevention of contamination.The very best is to have a barrier between one's hands and public surfaces.

I don't want to come across as a hpochondriac,because the last thing I am-in fact,when at home here in the Bush,my family and I don't wash our hands very often at all.We touch our animals,pry ticks off them,walk barefoot outside,my kids play outside and I spend time in+amongst nature and soil and plants+dust and insects,goes for hours without so much as a thought of washing hands-in fact usually twice a day at most.Because you have to build up Some resistance to germs,and any dirt we pick up here,is natural "healthy" dirt.We are quite hardy folks,and seldom get sick:-)It's only when we go into the town,when I wipe down our trolley with hygiene wipes available outside our supermarket,and apply hand sanitiser-and we only go about twice,maybe 3 times a week,so we don't overuse it-but I do agree with you that it should not be used to an excessive extent.a reply to: captaintyinknots

The best shoppers would be doctors who are aware of what to say because they have heard it so many times before.

originally posted by: Yeahkeepwatchingme
With Ebola it's new but they've had medical secret shoppers for awhile now. They usually go in pretending to have certain ailments to see how well the new docs/docs in training handle the case. It's also to test their level of awareness and medical expertise.

Kramer did it once on Seinfeld.

Well, kramer's deal wasnt exactly as a secret shopper, but thats neither here nor there.

it used to be that they presented with non-threatening symptoms. Now they are presenting with ebola symptoms. All it takes is one nurse, receptionist, whatever, to text a friend that there is an ebola patient in their hospital, and now theres false news everywhere.

a reply to: Raxoxane

The only reason I even made the point about the sanitizers is because I have spent the last year of my life dealing with a doctor-caused infection that is resistant to hand sanitizers.

I have been advised by a "infectious diseases" specialist to avoid hand sanitzers at all costs. The evidence shows that not only does it become resistant to the sanitzer, it actually gets STRONGER because of it.

Now, all of that said, I do agree, something is better than nothing, but a tip, if you want it: according to the same doctor, non-antibacterial baby-wipes are far superior to hand sanitzers.

a reply to: captaintyinknots

So basically they're just wasting space the ER's don't have and taking up beds that people with real illnesses need, great. Total waste of time and total waste of resources.

I don't like the idea of secret shoppers at ER's, not at all....

originally posted by: Jennyfrenzy
a reply to: captaintyinknots

So basically they're just wasting space the ER's don't have and taking up beds that people with real
Illnesses need, great. Total waste of time and total waste of resources.

I don't like the idea of secret shoppers at ER's, not at all....

I dont agree that its a waste of time at all. Without live simulations, errors are made. With things like this, if errors are made, people die.

The timing of just NOW starting the training on it, though....

a reply to: captaintyinknots

I totally understand about ER errors and doctors errors. I almost lost my life in 2003 because of doctor error and could have lost my life again a couple weeks ago.

Emergency Room Error: Could Have Lost my Life 9/29/14

Secret shoppers taking space away from real illnesses in the ER is not the way to handle the issue. Let them visit doctors offices but they should stay away from emergency rooms.

originally posted by: Jennyfrenzy
a reply to: captaintyinknots

I totally understand about ER errors and doctors errors. I almost lost my life in 2003 because of doctor error and could have lost my life again a couple weeks ago.

Emergency Room Error: Could Have Lost my Life 9/29/14

Secret shoppers taking space away from real illnesses in the ER is not the way to handle the issue. Let them visit doctors offices but they should stay away from emergency rooms.

I have spent the last year fighting a deadly infection because of a doctors error.

The thing is, though, when people are scared, they go to the E.R., they dont set up an appointment with their doctor.

The E.R. is by FAR the most likely place for these things to present. Thus, they are the most important to be trained on it.

a reply to: captaintyinknots

I have avascular necrosis from a doctors error, deal with daily chronic pain, have had 3 surgeries including a total hip replacement at 32 years old and I still need another one on the other hip. Trust me I understand the impact a doctors error can have on someone's life. I was also diagnosed with an ulcer when it was actually Addison's disease and the ER saved my life after almost a year of seeking help. The ER is a place for real emergencies, not secret shoppers.

The staff in the ER should be trained but training them using secret shoppers who are taking beds away from people who are really suffering is not the way to train staff. Someone could loose their life sitting in an ER waiting room because a secret shopper is in the ER will a make believe illness, for training purposes.

Secret shoppers in doctors offices is one thing but I don't agree a place where people go who are feeling horrible and possibly on the brink of death is a good spot for training.

originally posted by: Jennyfrenzy
a reply to: captaintyinknots

I have avascular necrosis from a doctors error, deal with daily chronic pain, have had 3 surgeries including a total hip replacement at 32 years old and I still need another one on the other hip. Trust me I understand the impact a doctors error can have on someone's life. I was also diagnosed with an ulcer when it was actually Addison's disease and the ER saved my life after almost a year of seeking help. The ER is a place for real emergencies, not secret shoppers.

The staff in the ER should be trained but training them using secret shoppers who are taking beds away from people who are really suffering is not the way to train staff. Someone could loose their life sitting in an ER waiting room because a secret shopper is in the ER will a make believe illness, for training purposes.

Secret shoppers in doctors offices is one thing but I don't agree a place where people go who are feeling horrible and possibly on the brink of death is a good spot for training.

I fully understand your concerns, I simply fail to see another alternative. This is a virus that the vast majority of doctors and nurses have never seen outside of a video training.

If there is a better alternative, Im all for hearing it, but one way or another, ER doctors MUST be trained on dealing with this, first hand.

Thanks for that tip,I always keep a packet of babywipes in the cubby-hole of our car anyway,being a parent it's become a habit,even though my kids are not toddlers anymore-but lately I've been using the handsanitiser as a substitute for the babywipes.Your post made me think,thanks again.Btw I wonder if medical alcohol pads would be better,if you suspect that despite efforts to avoid,you may have touched something nasty/suspect whilst in a public place?Those alcohol pads they use to wipe your skin before an injection is given.Will look into that.

At the moment I'm using a sanitiser from a wonderful and reasonably priced South African toiletry range called Oh So Heavenly-a fantastic product line.That particular sanitiser is absolutely non-sticky,unlike many others,which was a big plus for me.I see that alcohol is of course included in the mix,but there's quite a few other ingredients too,so I will look into this for interest's sake.a reply to: captaintyinknots

a reply to: captaintyinknots

I totally agree that something must be done about the downfall of our healthcare system. I do see the value in the secret shoppers, just not in the ER. I'm all for secret shoppers in doctors offices because they're not an emergency environment.

While I have no other ideas to offer, other than hospital administration doing spot checks and audits in the ER may help. Even an outside agency coming in and doing spot checks, not sure if that would mesh with HIPPA though.

Something must be done, I'm sorry about and can empathize with all the problems you've experienced from a doctors mistake. There are way to many people suffering from doctor incompetence and laziness, like us.