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Announcement

Updated ICH CAHPS Survey Materials for the 2026 Spring Survey
folder_openChanges to Survey Materialscalendar_todayPosted December 19, 2025

The ICH CAHPS Coordination Team is currently in the process of updating the ICH CAHPS Survey Administration and Specifications Manual, Version 14.0 and survey materials, and would like to give early notification of the following survey materials that will be revised for implementation during the 2026 Spring Survey period.

As was noted in the memo posted on the ICH CAHPS website on September 26, 2025 (DRAFT Revised ICH CAHPS Surveys for 2026 Spring (tentative) Now Posted on the ICH CAHPS Website), the proposed DRAFT revised ICH CAHPS Survey, in all languages, was posted on the Survey and Protocols webpage. At this time, implementation of the revised ICH CAHPS Survey is still expected to be for the 2026 Spring Survey; however, this is dependent on receiving OMB approval by a certain date. We will keep vendors updated with any changes to this revised survey implementation plan or timeline.

The survey materials that will be revised:

ICH CAHPS Prenotification Letter (English, Spanish, Samoan, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Vietnamese):

  • Added a sentence to the prenotification letters to note that the survey is now shorter.

ICH CAHPS Cover Letters 1 and 2 (English, Spanish, Samoan, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Vietnamese):

  • Added a sentence to both Cover Letters 1 and 2 to note that the survey is now shorter.
  • The OMB disclosure notice (which must be printed on either the survey OR on the Cover Letters 1 and 2), has been revised to reflect the average time to take the survey is now 12 minutes, instead of the previous 16 minutes.
    • Please note: The OMB number (included in the OMB disclosure notice) may also be required to be revised. Vendors will be provided with a second/final version of the cover letters 1 and 2 if this update is required, which may not be known until February 2026.

ICH CAHPS Mail Survey (English, Spanish, Samoan, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Vietnamese):

  • The revised ICH CAHPS Mail Survey now contains 38 survey questions (was previously 62).
  • There is now a revised single question to gather race and ethnicity information, with new response options.
  • The OMB disclosure notice (which must be printed on either the survey OR on the Cover Letters 1 and 2), has been revised to reflect the average time to take the survey is now 12 minutes, instead of the previous 16 minutes.
  • The OMB expiration date will be revised, but this new date may not be known until February 2026.
    • Please note: The OMB number that must be printed on the survey cover page (and also included in the OMB disclosure notice if the notice is being printed on the survey) may also be required to be revised. Vendors will be provided with a second/final version of the mail survey that includes these final pending OMB changes, once they have been made, which may not be until February 2026.
  • Due to updated Section 508 compliance requirements, the mail surveys posted on the ICH CAHPS website can no longer include underlined text. As such, the revised mail surveys posted on the website (which are 508 compliant) will now display the two instances of the word “not” as “not”. Please note that this word will remain underlined (“not”) in the revised mail surveys that vendors will receive from the Coordination Team, to be administered to sample patients.

ICH CAHPS Telephone Script (English and Spanish):

  • The revised ICH CAHPS Telephone Script now contains 36 survey questions (was previously 59).
  • INTRO2 now references that the survey is shorter.
  • There is now a revised single question to gather race and ethnicity information, with new response options.

OMB Disclosure Notice (English, Spanish, Samoan, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Vietnamese):

  • The OMB disclosure notice (which must be printed on either the survey OR on the Cover Letters 1 and 2), has been revised to reflect the average time to take the survey is now 12 minutes, instead of the previous 16 minutes.
    • Please note: The OMB number (included in the OMB disclosure notice) may also be required to be revised. Vendors will be notified of these changes once they have been finalized, which may not be until February 2026.

XML Data Layout File:

  • The ICH CAHPS Survey XML data layout file is being revised for the 2026 Spring Survey to reflect all revisions made to the 2026 Spring mail surveys and telephone scripts. The specific XML file updates will be provided to vendors at a later date.
  • By May 2026, the ICH CAHPS Survey data submission tools (Schema Validation Tool and Data Submission Tool) will be updated to reflect this revised survey. Announcements will be posted on the website when the revised tools are available.
  • All survey vendors must update their XML before the July 29, 2026 data submission deadline for the 2026 Spring Survey. Please note that in light of these significant changes to the XML file, additional information will be provided in the weeks leading up to the July 2026 data submission period regarding quality control checks that vendors should conduct on their 2026 Spring Survey data prior to data submission.

Waiting Room Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (English, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Vietnamese):

  • Revised reference of number of minutes the (revised) survey will take to complete from “16” to “12”.
  • Removed reference to the survey asking opinions about kidney doctors.

Telephone Interviewer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (English and Spanish):

  • Revised references of number of minutes the (revised) survey will take to complete from “16” to “12”.
  • Removed references to the survey asking opinions about kidney doctors.

Survey Composites:

  • Revised to show the survey items included in each of the ICH CAHPS Survey composite measures, based on the revised ICH CAHPS Survey to be implemented beginning with the 2026 Spring Survey period.

The Coordination Team will provide the revised materials to approved survey vendors via email within the next few weeks, so that they can begin updating their systems/processes. All survey vendors must update their survey materials and systems before the 2026 Spring Survey begins in April 2026. At this time, these are the only survey materials revisions expected; however, survey vendors will be notified should other changes be required (such as the above references changes to the OMB expiration date and OMB number, impacting the mail surveys and Cover Letters 1 and 2).

The revised cover letters, mail surveys, telephone scripts, OMB disclosure notices, waiting room FAQs, telephone interviewer FAQs, the survey composites document, and XML file will also be made available on the ICH CAHPS website in early February 2026. All updated survey materials will be discussed during the ICH CAHPS Vendor Update Training session on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

Please contact the ICH CAHPS Coordination Team via email at ichcahps@rti.org if you have any questions.