As the competitive edge between hospitals and healthcare providers increases, "secret" shoppers—usually hired by outside firms—are going undercover to evaluate the quality of medical services, the Chicago Tribune reports.

At its annual meeting in Chicago last month, the American Medical Association addressed the subject of undercover shoppers but then sent the issue back to an ethics committee for more details before voting on whether to support it.

There are multiple ethical concerns regarding the practice, among them the fact that the mystery shoppers take up the valuable time and attention of emergency department staff.

To read the Chicago Tribune report, click here.