AHRQ: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®)

Summary

For 25 years, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed evidence-based surveys to support healthcare professionals in assessing and improving patients’ experiences with the healthcare system. The range of Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) surveys means that patients can measure their experiences with:

• Providers, such as medical groups, practice sites, and individual clinicians.
• Care delivered in different settings, including hospitals, dialysis centers, and nursing homes.
• Care for specific health conditions.
• Health plans and related programmes.

The purpose of the CAHPS programme is to advance our scientific understanding of patient experience with healthcare.

Content

CAHPS surveys

CAHPS surveys ask patients to report on their experiences with a range of health care services at multiple levels of the delivery system. Some CAHPS surveys ask about patients' experiences with providers, such as medical, groups, practice sites, and surgical centers, or with care for specific health conditions. Other surveys ask enrollees about their experiences with health plans and related programs. Finally, several surveys ask about experiences with care delivered in facilities, including hospitals, dialysis centers, and nursing homes.

CAHPS databases

For each survey, you can download formatted survey instruments, guidance for administering them, and information on analysing and using the results. Information in the guidance documents is based on the survey developers' extensive research into best practices in survey design and administration as well as analyses of data collected during the field testing of each instrument. AHRQ does not require the use of any surveys or the use of a specific methodology for sampling or survey administration.

CAHPS Ambulatory Care Improvement Guide

The CAHPS Ambulatory Care Improvement Guide is a comprehensive resource for health plans, medical groups, and other providers seeking to improve their performance in the domains of patient experience measured by CAHPS surveys of ambulatory care. Use this guide to help your organization:

• Cultivate an environment that encourages and sustains improvements in patient-centered care.
• Analyze the results of CAHPS surveys and other forms of patient feedback to identify strengths and weaknesses.
• Develop strategies for improving performance.