CMS administers several surveys to assess beneficiary experience with different types of health care. Some of these are CMS-only surveys. Others, those designated as CAHPS, have been approved by the AHRQ-overseen CAHPS consortium.
Healthcare providers/populations addressed by specific, individual surveys include:
- Hospital
- Home Health
- Home and Community Based Services
- Fee-for-Service
- Medicare Advantage & Part D Plan (PDP)
- In-Center Hemodialysis
- Nationwide Adult Medicaid
- Hospice
- Accountable Care Organizations
- Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery
- Merit-based Incentive Payment System quality payment program
Measures of beneficiary experience focus on the patient experience or perception rather than patient satisfaction. Focus areas include:
- Communication with providers
- Understanding medication instructions
- Coordination of healthcare needs
The number of participating patients and institutions varies by survey. For example, over 4,000 hospitals participates in HCAHPS, and over 7,000 home health agencies participate in HHCAHPS.
Special considerations:
- Requests for CAHPS data must include documentation of pre-approval by the CMS CAHPS program.
- Please see the CMS website for more information.
