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Thank you for visiting the website for the Medicare In-Center Hemodialysis Survey (also known as the In-Center Hemodialysis CAHPS or ICH CAHPS Survey). This survey is designed to measure the experiences of people receiving in-center hemodialysis care from Medicare-certified dialysis facilities (also known as ICH facilities or dialysis centers). Your participation in this national survey is very important and we appreciate your interest: your feedback helps Medicare to improve the overall quality of dialysis care that you and others like you receive, and also helps other patients choose a dialysis center that’s right for them. This page contains information and links that may be helpful to patients selected to participate in the survey:
If you have other questions about participating in the Medicare In-Center Hemodialysis Survey, please contact us at ichcahps@rti.org or call 1-866-245-8083.
What is the Medicare In-Center Hemodialysis Survey?
Your dialysis facility (also known as a dialysis center or an ICH facility) is taking part in a national survey from Medicare. The Medicare In-Center Hemodialysis Survey is also known as the In-Center Hemodialysis CAHPS Survey or the ICH CAHPS Survey. The purpose of this survey is to learn about your experiences with the dialysis care you receive. The survey results will help dialysis patients make more informed choices when choosing a dialysis facility and help dialysis facilities to improve the quality of dialysis care they provide to their patients. Results for the survey are published on Care Compare on Medicare.gov (medicare.gov/care-compare).
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What kinds of questions are asked?
The survey asks about your opinion of your kidney doctor(s), the dialysis facility staff you have encountered, your experiences with the dialysis care you receive at your facility, and your rating of this care. It also asks some general health and demographic questions.
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How are the results from the survey used?
Results of the survey are published twice a year in April and October on Care Compare on Medicare.gov (medicare.gov/care-compare).
Results from the survey will be used to help dialysis patients make more informed decisions when choosing a dialysis facility. Dialysis facilities will use survey results to help improve the quality of care they give to their patients. CMS (Medicare) will use survey results to monitor dialysis care in the U.S. All responses provided by you will combined with responses from others, so no one will ever know your specific responses.
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How did you get my name? How was I chosen for the survey?
Your name was randomly selected from all patients receiving in-center hemodialysis at your dialysis facility.
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Will my answers be kept confidential?
Yes! Your answers will be seen only by research staff, who have signed statements of confidentiality. All responses provided by you will combined with responses from others, so no one will ever know your specific responses. Dialysis facilities will never know who was included in the sample for their facility, nor will they know who completed a survey about the facility.
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Where can I see the results from the survey?
Results from this survey will be publicly reported on Care Compare on Medicare.gov. You can access the results by visiting medicare.gov/care-compare and choosing the provider type “Dialysis Facilities.”
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If I am not happy with the care I’m getting from my facility, who can I talk to about this?
Please call the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) Network that serves your dialysis facility by visiting this website: https://esrdnetworks.org/. You may also call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1 800-633-4227).
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Do I have to take part in this survey?
Your participation in this survey is voluntary; all information you give in this survey will be held in confidence and is protected by law. No dialysis facilities, including your current dialysis facility, will see your individual answers to this survey, nor will they know whether or not you participated.
You can also skip or refuse to answer any question you don’t feel comfortable with. But, we hope you will participate because the feedback you provide will help improve the quality of the dialysis care you and others like you receive.
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Can my (wife, husband, child, legal guardian, etc.) answer these questions for me?
Because you were chosen at random to participate in this important study, and because you are the one receiving dialysis care, no other person can take your place. However, you may skip or refuse to answer any question you are uncomfortable with or do not know the answer to. Someone else may assist you with reading, writing, or translation, but only you may provide answers to the survey.
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I am on the Do Not Call list. Why am I being called?
The Do Not Call list stops sales and telemarketing calls. This survey is being conducted on behalf of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (also known as CMS), which is the federal agency that administers Medicare. We are not calling to sell or market a product or service.
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I have already completed this survey. Why am I being contacted again?
To help Medicare understand how the experiences of dialysis patients change over time, some patients may be contacted again in the future to provide additional feedback about the dialysis care they have received.
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Who is the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS, is a federal agency within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). CMS administers the Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs, and the Health Insurance Marketplace.
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