Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems

Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) is a series of patient surveys rating health care experiences in the United States.[1] The surveys, conducted annually since 1995, are available in the public domain and focus on healthcare quality aspects that patients find important and are well equipped to assess.[2][3] Results are used by Medicare in determining Diagnostic Related Group payment for each hospital.[4]

CAHPS surveys are funded and overseen by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), a government organization. The AHRQ does not administer the surveys. Surveys must be administered by a qualified vendor. Vendors become certified by Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS).

There are currently several types of CAHPS surveys available. Some of these types include: Hospital (HCAHPS), Clinician Group (CGCAHPS), Hospice (HHCAHPS) and Ambulatory Surgery (ASCAHPS). These surveys may be administered via phone, email or mail distribution, depending on the certification of the vendor administering the survey.

These surveys measure satisfaction related to various measures such as communication with doctors, nurses and pain management during a patient's hospital or clinic visit or end of life care.

Reliability

An evaluation of the 1999 CAHPS version 1.0 study found it to have "good reliability" especially for getting opinions about health insurance.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Cleary, Paul D.; Christine Crofton; Ron D. Hays; Ronnie Horner (November 2012). "Introduction". Medical Care. doi:10.1097/MLR.0b013e31826ec0cb.
  2. ↑ "About CAHPS". AHRQ.
  3. ↑ South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations, on CAHPS, retrieved 5-10-12
  4. ↑ "15 HCAHPS Buzzwords Every Provider Should Know", Cheryl Clark, Health Leaders Media, July 11, 2011. retrieved 5-10-2012
  5. ↑ Hays, RD; Shaul, JA; Williams, VS; Lubalin, JS; Harris-Kojetin, LD; Sweeny, SF; Cleary, PD (Mar 1999). "Psychometric properties of the CAHPS 1.0 survey measures. Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Study". Medical Care 37 (3 Suppl): MS22–31. PMID 10098556.