Changes to the ICH CAHPS Survey Questionnaire and XML File Layout
folder_openChanges to Survey Materialscalendar_todayPosted August 14, 2014

Survey vendors should note the following changes to the ICH CAHPS Survey materials and protocols.

Race Questions in the Telephone Script. We have made some changes to Question 62 (race question) in the ICH CAHPS Survey Telephone Script so that it is comparable to the race question in the mail survey questionnaire. The mail questionnaire contains one race question that allows a sample patient to choose all race categories that apply. In May, we revised the telephone script to include one gate question for race and two follow-up questions (Q62a and Q62b) if the sample patient chose Asian or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander in the gate question. However, the follow-up questions in the telephone script currently only allow the sample patient to choose one group that best describes them. Telephone survey respondents must have the same option to choose two or more race categories as do mail survey respondents, therefore we have revised Q62a and Q62b in the telephone script to make those questions comparable to the mail survey.

Survey vendors that will be administering the ICH CAHPS Survey by telephone or mixed-mode should revise their computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) programs as soon as possible to accommodate this change. Basically, the word “group” in Q62a and Q62b has been changed to plural (groups) and the sentence “You may choose one or more of the following” has been added to each of these questions. A revised version of the telephone script has been posted here. Survey vendors should change their CATI program to allow two or more responses to Q62a and Q62b.

XML File Layout. The addendum posted on August 6, 2014 noted that the XML File Layout was corrected to indicate that Q62a and Q62b were single answer questions. Since we are now making these questions choose all that apply, we will revert back to the previous version of the XML File Layout that indicates multiple answers for these questions. A revised version of the XML template has been posted here. Survey vendors must make sure that they use the corrected version of the XML file when submitting ICH CAHPS Survey data to the Data Center.

Skip Instructions in the Mail Questionnaire. The skip instructions beside some of the response options in the mail questionnaire currently repeat some of the words and phrases that are included in the response option. For example, the skip instruction beside the last response option in Q2 reads “If I do not currently receive dialysis at this dialysis center, Go to Question 45.”

I do not currently receive dialysis at this dialysis center --> If I do not currently receive dialysis at this dialysis center, Go to Question 45.

Survey vendors may change skip instructions to only include the actual skip instruction, as shown in the example below.

I do not currently receive dialysis at this dialysis center --> Go to Question 45

Survey vendors must use the arrow, and make sure that it is clear to which question the respondent should skip.

Please contact the ICH CAHPS Survey Coordination Team at 1-866-245-8083 or via email at ichcahps@rti.org if you have any questions.