Health Care Spies
From the
ADVANCE for NPs blog:
A woman comes in to see you about migraines. You take a history, you spend time getting to know her, you treat her to the best of your ability. But what would you do if you found out she was hired to "fake" her illness to check up on your work?
This is what USA Today reports is happening in hospitals and health systems across the country: using "fake patients" to track and assess health care. According to the article Henry Ford Health System in Detroit spends $35,000 to $60,000 a year on these patients. Critics claim that their time is being wasted when they could be treating patients who truly need the care. Proponents say they like the feedback. And the AMA ethics committee is meeting to discuss endorsing the practice during its House of Delegates meeting this week.
This is a practice that has been in use for years in retail settings. A "fake patient" interviewed by USA Today said she preferred to call herself a "mystery shopper." Perhaps this is another case of health care trending toward retail.
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