Secret Shoppers Assessment in HIV

HI, does anyone know of any literature assessing the=
experience of using “secret shopper” techniques to assess HIV =
related programing – whether testing or case management service provi=
sion?   I have a  local inquiry about using such assessment
techniques in the HIV arena (to assess the work of state funded ASOs) and =
my gut reaction is that it is a very bad idea.   But before I sha=
re my general reservations and concerns with these folks, I was wondering i=
f anyone knows of any literature on this topic
that is specific to HIV care services.  As I would also like to see i=
f the literature supports my concerns as well as share as any Pros for usin=
g such techniques.

As an idea of the type of article/resources I am loo=
king for, here is one that talks about using Secret Shopper assessments in =
Medical settings.   

http://virtualmentor.ama-assn.org/2008/05/ccas5-0805.html=

I am looking for even more specific experiences &#82=
11; pros and cons of using such in HIV related settings, such as Prevention=
and/or Supportive Care services (e.g., HIV Case Management).   A=
ny suggestions on where to look for HIV specific secret
shopper examples would be helpful. Thanks! — CF

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Carrie E. Foote, Ph.D

Associate Professor, Sociology
Director of Graduate Studies

Indiana University-Purdue University

CA 306b, 425 University Blvd.

Indianapolis, Indiana 46202

Phone: 317.278.8454