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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.
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.
Im with you all the way up until two points:
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 ya, at best its a case of "a day late and a dollar short".
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!
Well, kramer's deal wasnt exactly as a secret shopper, but thats neither here nor there.
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.
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.
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 have spent the last year fighting a deadly infection because of a doctors error.
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 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.
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.