Patient-Experience Surveys

Create a positive experience for every patient.
Patient-experience surveys are essential for understanding how patients perceive the healthcare services they receive. Results also impact star ratings assigned to Medicare Advantage plans. A higher star rating means better incentives for providers and richer benefits for Patrius Health patients. Providers should know about these important patient surveys:

• Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS)
• Health Outcomes Survey (HOS)

CAHPS
CMS’ annual CAHPS survey asks a random sampling of a plan’s Medicare Advantage members to report on and evaluate their healthcare experiences. The survey is administered in spring each year and focuses on aspects of quality that patients are best qualified to assess. The results of the CAHPS survey indicate what really matters to patients.

HOS
The HOS surveys are administered from August through November each year. This survey asks patients about their health and the quality of the healthcare they received, and these same patients are resurveyed two years later to determine if there are any changes in their self‐reported health status.

Administrative Staff: What will the survey results say about you?
The CMS CAHPS survey measures patient experiences with healthcare by asking questions such as:

• Did the patient get an appointment for routine care as soon as needed?
• If the patient needed urgent care, was he or she seen as quickly as possible?
• Did the patient receive results from their personal doctor about labs, x-rays, etc.?
• Was the patient’s personal doctor informed about care the patient received from specialists?

You play an important role in helping us improve our members’ experiences. When patient loads are heavy, acknowledging your awareness of a patient’s wait time can make a big difference to the patient. If a patient needs urgent care, you can make sure your providers are aware. Remember, your interaction with patients often influences how they feel about and rate their healthcare experiences.

Providers: What will the survey results say about you?
Your patients with Blue Advantage plans may be asked the following CAHPS survey questions:

• Was it easy to get care, tests or treatments?
• Did your provider show respect for what you had to say?
• Did your provider listen carefully?

HOS survey questions ask patients if providers discussed these topics:

• Improving/maintaining physical health/activities of daily living
• Improving or maintaining mental health
• Monitoring physical activity
• Reducing the risk of falling
• Improving bladder control

Here are some tips to help you cover survey topics with your patients:

• Provide simple written information about your patients’ condition and medication(s).
• Provide same-day appointments when a patient’s problem is urgent.
• Remind your patients when test results should be ready and how they will receive their results.
• Allow time for patient and family member questions.

For an overview of the CAHPS and HOS surveys, go to the Why CAHPS and HOS Are Important to You flier.

Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) is a program of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CAHPS works to advance the scientific understanding of patient experience with health care.