What is HH-CAHPS?
HH-CAHPS (Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems is a survey designed by CMS and used to assess patients’ perceptions of care provided by Medicare- certified home health agencies. CAHPS was developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and was created to allow the public to compare different home health agencies and for agencies to improve the quality of care they provide.
Who needs to conduct HH-CAHPS surveys?
Any home health agency that provides care for 60 or more patients annually must conduct HH-CAHPS surveys in order to receive their full annual market basket increase. Agencies with fewer than 60 eligible, unduplicated patients between April 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010 must submit their patient counts to the HH-CAHPS Data Center by Wednesday, June 16, 2010 to receive a waiver from participation.
Which patients should receive CAHPS?
Patients that are eligible for participation include:
- Medicare and Medicaid patients
- Patients at least 18 years of age at any time of their stay
- Patients believed to be alive
- Patients that have received at least 2 visits in the past 60 days and had at least 1 skilled care visit during the sample month
- Patients not currently receiving ONLY hospice care
- Patients not currently receiving ONLY routine maternity care
- Patients who have NOT requested “no publicity” status
Is there a standard survey all approved vendors use?
Yes, all home health companies use the same standard 34-question survey. The survey is offered in English, Spanish, Chinese, Russian and Vietnamese.
Do we have to use an approved vendor to administer HH-CAHPS?
Yes. CMS requires an approved vendor to administer the HH-CAHPS surveys. PPS Plus Software has partnered with DSS Research, an approved HH-CAHPS vendor.
When will this begin?
Agencies will be required to do a dry run for at least one month in the third quarter of 2010, with implementation beginning in October 2010.
When will the results be publicly reported?
Starting in early 2011, all publicly reported data will be available on the Home Health Compare website. The results will be reported quarterly. Data must be submitted by the survey vendors either on a monthly or quarterly basis.
Which survey items will be reported?
The survey consists of 34 standardized questions. Other questions can be added if the home health agency requests them. Of the 34 questions, 25 are core questions, 2 are global questions, and the rest are self-reported health status and basic demographic information.
Can we add additional questions to the survey?
Yes, additional questions may be added to the survey. These additional questions do not need to be reported or approved by CMS.
What data collection do you offer?
We offer all three of the CMS approved data collections. (mail-only, telephone-only, and mixed mode)
Why choose PPS Plus for my HH-CAHPS surveys?
When it comes to HH-CAHPS, home care agencies deserve a combination of experience and trust. That's why we're a proud partner of DSS Research, a certified CAHPS vendor based in Fort Worth, TX. DSS is the largest health plan CAHPS firm in the country, certified for hospital CAHPS, home health care CAHPS and the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey. By joining forces, home health agencies can now receive the experience and expertise of DSS Research in conducting CAHPS surveys and the clinical expertise of PPS Plus Software.
How do I get started?
Please contact us at 1-888-897-9136 or email HH-CAHPS project manager, at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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We are really pleased with how things went this year on the CAHPS survey. You guys hit all your timelines and we are really pleased with the web access.
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