ICH CAHPS: Additional QC Checks to Perform on XML Files Before 2024 Spring Survey Data Submission
folder_openData Submissionscalendar_todayPosted May 7, 2024
Due to the edits made to the race questions prior to the 2024 ICH CAHPS Spring Survey (Q59 in the mail surveys and Q59 and Q59b in the telephone scripts), it is strongly recommended that ICH CAHPS Survey vendors complete additional quality control (QC) checks on Q59 and Q59b data early in the data collection period (in addition to the typical QC checks performed prior to the data submission deadline).
In particular, vendors should perform QC checks to ensure that both their mail scanning/keying systems and their CATI systems are functioning properly based on the new alphabetical order of race responses in both mail and CATI. As part of these QC checks, we encourage vendors to compare the counts of their 2024 Spring race response categories against data from previous survey periods to ensure that their survey systems are accurately capturing the reordered race responses. When comparing your mail survey data, please note that because two new race variables have been added to the XML in the Q59-mail section, there will be no response data from previous survey periods to compare for those variables.
In addition to checking the reordered race responses, vendors should also perform QC checks on the new race variables in their mail systems (Q59-mail race-asian-mail (i.e. “Asian”) and Q59-mail race-nativehawaiian-pacific-mail (i.e. “Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander”)). With these new variables, the numeric range of the response options in the mail survey changed from 1-14 to 1-16. If the XML is not revised correctly to include these corresponding two new variables, it will fail the data submission validation checks upon submission to the ICH CAHPS Data Center.
Vendors are encouraged to initiate these QC checks after Wave 1 data collection activities, which began on May 3rd and then again after the Wave 2 data collection efforts that begin on May 31st, once mail and/or phone data has been received.
Please contact the ICH CAHPS Coordination Team via email at ichcahps@rti.org or call toll-free at 1-866-245-8083 if you have any questions.