The HCAHPS stands for Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and systems. A patient satisfaction survey done in hospitals in the United States.
Hcahps Survey
A publicly reported survey, also known as CAHPS hospital survey. It is a survey instrument and a data collection method.
Hospitals conduct this survey on their adult patients who have discharged. They collect patient satisfaction data through this survey. After the discharge, the survey conducted on phone.
Goals of Hcahps Customer Feedback Survey
Three important goals need to keep in mind to shape the HCAHPS Guest survey. They were listed below:
- It designed to produce data on the patient’s perspective about the hospital’s care. It allows an objective and healthy comparison between hospitals.
- A publically reported survey. It motivates hospitals to improve their quality of care. Helps in creating new incentives.
- Hcahps Survey makes the healthcare system transparent to the public. This survey increases accountability in the healthcare sector.
The CMS (Centres for Medicare and Medicaid services) takes steps to make sure the survey is credible, useful and practical.
Importance of the Hcahps Hospital Survey
- This survey gives the patient a voice to provide their perspective.
- The Hcahps Online Survey results shared publicly on the internet. The hospitals have to maintain their public image and reputation.
- The government provides investments to hospitals with good survey results. It helps in making the hospitals financially secure.
Hcahps Survey Questions
The answers in the hcahps survey given in the form of ratings. They can rate the various questions on a scale of 1 to 10 or a frequency and consistency rating like,
- Never
- Sometimes
- Usually
- Always
The Hcahps questions asked were about the patients’ experiences at the hospital. The survey contains 29 items. 19 of those contain critical aspects of the hospital such as:
- (Q1 to 3) The respect, listening skills and communication ability of the Nurses with the patients.
- (Q5 to 7) The respect, listening skills and communication abilities of the doctors with the patient.
- (Q4, Q11) The responsiveness of the staff – Answering call bells and responding to toilet needs.
- (Q8, Q9) Hospital environment – The cleanliness, hygiene and general quietness of the hospital.
- (Q13, Q14) Pain management
- (Q16, Q17) Medication Communications
- (Q19, Q20) Helping and preparing the discharging patients to leave the hospital comfortably.
- The quality of food served and the service of those who served it.
- (Q21) Overall rating of the hospital experience.
- (Q22) Likelihood of the patient recommending the hospital to their friends and family.
Q1 to 22 are Core questions
- Must be asked before all other questions.
- The order of these questions was not changed.
- They not changed in any way.
Q23 to 27 are demographic questions
- These questions must be last.
- They cannot be changed in any way.
After Q27 Customized questions inserted by the hospital.
HCAHPS Rules and protocols
The HCAHPS Hospital survey designed for adult patients with a recent medical, surgical, or obstetrical visit to a hospital. Some survey protocols to follow:
- All paying patients included in HCAHPS. It not focused on Medicare beneficiaries.
- Patients under the age of 18 not included in HCAHPS.
- This survey does not include specialty hospitals.
- The survey was done only on discharged inpatients of acute care hospitals.
- There are some exclusions in certain patients, such as:
- Patients with psychiatric cases not included.
- Patients with certain excluded diseases and illnesses.
- Also, Patients who are not alive during the time of discharge
- Patients who discharged into hospice care.
- All these are based on DRG and admit or discharge status.
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How To Take Hcahps Feedback Survey
The HCAHPS survey given to random adult patients with conditions between 48 hours to 6 weeks after discharge. The hospital can use an approved survey or collect their own data. HCAHPS has several different modes of administration. Each mode has its own advantages and disadvantages:
- Mail only
An initial survey mailed to the sample. If the sample not responding, another mail is sent three weeks later.
- Telephone calls only
This protocol uses phone calls exclusively to collect data. Five survey attempts made to each of the patients.
- Mixed method ( An email followed by a telephonic conversation)
In this method, an initial survey mailing distributed. A phone call made to the non-respondents of the survey
- IVR (Active Interactive Voice Response)
Using this model, patients contacted by telephone initially. Then they transitioned to an electronic survey. The electronic survey completed with their touch-tone cell phones.
Hcahps Sampling method and sample size
The sampling was done at a random from random patients. The sampling can occur two times a month or depend on the hospital discharge numbers.
All the data collected should have statistical reliability. The Hcahps Hospital online Survey target is at 300 surveys in 12 months. The hospitals should complete at least 25 surveys in a month.
Hcahps Survey Result Etiquettes
The hospital should follow some rules, before and after the survey gets completed.
- The hospital can inform patients that they may receive a survey after discharge.
- They cannot post or give out copies of the survey before it conducted.
- The hospital cannot ask any HCAHPS questions to the patients before the survey.
- The hospital cannot ask the patients to fill in favorable answers.
- Also, the hospital cannot bribe the patients with rewards.
- The hospital cannot ask the patients for any explanation of their answers.
- They cannot give any incentives to the patients.
People Also Ask On Hcahps Survey
Why should the patient take part in the survey?
The patient is asked general questions about his/her experiences at the hospital. This Hcahps Online Survey can help the hospital to receive feedback for improvement.
How is the HCAHPS survey useful for the hospital?
The survey serves as an incentive for the hospital to better itself. Hospitals with positive survey results are also rewarded by the government in the form of investments.
How is the HCAHPS useful for the public?
The survey is conducted in acute care hospitals, funded by public investments. This survey gives them a chance to transparently see if the funds are being used properly or not.