Menu

Announcement

Decisions Regarding Vendor Recommendations During Data Quality Teleconference Calls
folder_openOther Announcementscalendar_todayPosted August 24, 2015

The ICH CAHPS Coordination Team would like thank ICH CAHPS Survey vendors for their suggestions for changes to the ICH CAHPS Survey materials and clarifications for some of the procedures that vendors made during the data quality telephone conference calls this spring and summer.  Some of the recommendations for changes to the survey materials or in survey protocols and procedures are provided below, along with the Coordination Team’s decisions related to those suggestions.

Please review the information provided in this document and contact the Coordination Team via e-mail at ichcahps@rti.org or call 1-866-245-8083 if you have any questions.

 

  1. Recommendation: Reduce the number of questions in the ICH CAHPS Questionnaire to shorten the survey.

Decision: The survey questionnaire will remain as it is for now but the Coordination Team will review this issue during future survey periods.

 

  1. Recommendation: Change the format of the race/ethnicity question (Q59) so that it is formatted (and administered) the same as in the mail survey questionnaire.

Decision: The race/ethnicity question was split into a gate with two follow-up questions for telephone administration to make it easier for patients to recall all of the response options. The format of the race question will remain as is in both the mail and telephone modes.

 

  1. Recommendation: Rescind the requirement that vendors print the name of the facility in the transition statement that appears above Q36.

Decision: Including the facility name in the transition statement that appears above Q36 is necessary because it reminds the patient of the facility being asked about, especially given the change from a 3-month reference period (in Qs. 3-35) to a 12-month reference period (in Qs. 36-44). This requirement will not be changed.

 

  1. Recommendation: Remind patients of the facility name more during the telephone introduction and throughout the survey.

Decision: The facility name fills will remain as they are. If vendors continue to feel that this is needed, we will reevaluate this request in future survey periods.

 

  1. Recommendation: Allow telephone interviewers to automatically code Qs. 1 and 2 without reading the questions if the respondent volunteers that he or she receives hemodialysis at home, no longer receives dialysis, or is not receiving dialysis at the sample facility when the interviewer is reading the introductory script, OR add a code so that this information can be coded as part of the introductory script.

Decision: Adding these options to the introductory script could reduce precision. Survey vendors must train and require telephone interviewers to read every question in the questionnaire, even if the respondent has provided an answer to that question during when the intro script is read or in response to a preceding question.

 

  1. Recommendation: Spell out Spanish education responses instead of using ordinal responses.

Decision: The format of the response options that appear in the Spanish-language version of the ICH CAHPS Survey is the same as in other surveys being conducted, and there is no evidence to suggest that this issue is affecting respondents’ comprehension of the response options or ability to respond to the question.  Vendors should train telephone interviewers to ensure that they know how to read these answers.

 

  1. Recommendation: Allow CMS logo to be printed on ICH CAHPS envelopes.

Decision: The CMS logo cannot be used on the ICH CAHPS envelopes as CMS does not grant permission for its use to third parties.

 

  1. Recommendation: Provide one sample file to each vendor instead of one main file and possible supplemental files.

Decision: The goal of the 2015 Fall Survey is to provide one sample file to each vendor and not have to also send supplemental sample files. Note that we have provided supplemental files in the previous survey periods to accommodate ICH facilities who register and authorize a survey vendor or update their online authorization form to indicate that they have switched vendors AFTER the published deadline for updating the authorization. To avoid this issue in the upcoming survey period, we have extended the deadline for facilities to authorize a vendor (for first time) or switch vendor authorization to August 31, 2015. This will be a hard deadline. No new vendor authorizations and no changes to vendor authorization will be allowed after that date in an effort to avoid supplemental sample files.

 

  1. Recommendation: Notify vendors any time their vendor authorization report changes via an e-mail message.

Decision: Vendors currently receive an email any time a facility authorizes them for the first time. The Coordination Team is investigating the feasibility of modifying the online vendor authorization programs and processes to automatically generate and send an e-mail to survey vendors when one of their facility clients changes its vendor authorization.  In the meantime, vendors should check their vendor authorization report on a regular basis, especially leading up the vendor authorization deadline for the next survey period.

 

  1. Recommendation: Provide guidance on how to handle hang-ups since no refusal conversions are permitted.

Decision: If a sample patient hangs up immediately before or while the interviewer is reading the introductory script, the case should be called again at a later point in time. That is, on a different day of the week and at a different time of the day.  If the sample patient hangs up after the introductory script has been read to him or her, the interviewer should code the case as a refusal. That is, the vendor should not make any additional calls to that sample patient.

 

  1. Recommendation: Provide guidance on how cases on an internal do-no-call list should be handled.

Decision: If a sample patient or phone number appears on the vendor’s internal do-not-call list, the case should be coded as a refusal and no call attempts should be made.