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Emergency Nurses Association, American Academy of Emergency Medicine Release Statement Denouncing 'Mystery Shoppers' in Emergency Departments

Thursday, July 17, 2008 General News
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DES PLAINES, Ill., July 16 The Emergency NursesAssociation (ENA) today released a statement denouncing the use of "MysteryShoppers," people who are sent to the emergency department with a fake injuryor illness in order to test customer-service. The statement, endorsed by theAmerican Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM), states the practice is not onlydangerous and detrimental to quality care, but unnecessary since other moreeffective, less intrusive methods exist to gauge customer satisfaction.
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"Emergency departments around the country are at the breaking point," saidDenise King, RN, MSN, CEN, 2008 ENA president. "The last thing emergencydepartments need is fake patients with fake symptoms taking up the time andresources of the emergency healthcare team while real patients with realillnesses are waiting to receive the care they need."
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"For example, if mystery shoppers come to the emergency department fakingstroke symptoms, they are likely to get a CT scan and blood tests. That takesthe time of doctors, nurses, radiology technicians and laboratory technicians.

In the meantime, other patients with real illnesses won't have access to thatscanner and will have to wait longer for a nurse or doctor until thisperfectly healthy person gets done with his or her charade. That's not justwrong, it's dangerous," added King.

According to the statement, both ENA and AAEM believe that "serviceexcellence is an essential component of providing emergency care that is safe,effective, patient- and family-centered, timely, efficient and equitable."

However, the statement cites safer alternatives to mystery shoppers thatcan be used to more effectively measure customer satisfaction in an emergencydepartment. For example, customer satisfaction surveys or direct observationstudies are safer and more appropriate means by which to garner informationregarding service issues.

"It is irresponsible to delay care to real patients to gathercustomer-service data when better methods for gathering that data exist," saidAAEM President Larry D. Weiss, MD, JD, FAAEM. "Why would anyone put patientsat risk when proven alternatives are available?"

For more information about this statement, call Anthony Phipps at(847) 460-4054 or via e-mail at [email protected]. To download a copy of thestatement, go to http://www.ena.org/news/releases/

About the Emergency Nurses Association

The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) is the only professional nursingassociation dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing andemergency care through advocacy, expertise, innovation, and leadership.Founded in 1970, ENA serves as the voice of more than 34,000 members and theirpatients through research, publications, professional development, injuryprevention and patient education. Additional information is available atENA's Web site: http://www.ena.org.

About the AAEM

The American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) is the specialty societyof emergency medicine representing more than 5,000 members. Fellows of AAEMare certified by either the American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) or theAmerican Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine (AOBEM). AAEM supports fairand equitable practice environments necessary to allow the specialist inemergency medicine to deliver the highest quality of patient care. Visithttp://www.aaem.org for more information.

SOURCE Emergency Nurses Association
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