ICH CAHPS Announcements

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ICH CAHPS: Vietnamese Survey Materials for 2025 Spring
Changes to Survey MaterialsPosted December 18, 2024

As was announced in early December 2024 (ICH CAHPS: Vietnamese to be offered as an Official Survey Language Starting with the 2025 Spring Survey), the ICH CAHPS Survey and related materials will now be available in Vietnamese beginning with the 2025 Spring Survey. The following ICH CAHPS Survey materials in Vietnamese are now posted on the ICH CAHPS website:

Materials posted to the “Survey Materials” page here:

ICH CAHPS Cover Letters 1 and 2
Mail Survey
Supplemental Questions
OMB Disclosure Notice
Waiting Room FAQs

Vendor organizations that plan to administer the ICH CAHPS Survey in Vietnamese in a future survey period should contact the Coordination Team to receive versions of the letters with the CMS logo.

As a reminder, the ICH CAHPS Survey XML data layout file is also being revised to include the addition of Vietnamese for the Survey Language (completed) data variable in the Patient Administrative data record. Therefore, all survey vendors must update their XML before the July 30, 2025 data submission deadline for the 2025 Spring Survey. By May 2025, the ICH CAHPS Survey data submission tools (Schema Validation Tool and Data Submission Tool) will be updated to reflect the addition of this new survey language. Announcements will be posted on the website when the revised tools are available.

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.

RTI International will be closed December 25, 2024 and January 1, 2025
Other AnnouncementsPosted December 17, 2024

RTI International will be closed on December 25, 2024 and January 1, 2025. We will also have limited availability on December 24. The ICH CAHPS Coordination Team will respond to email and telephone technical assistance inquiries that are received on those dates as soon as possible.

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

Happy Holidays!

Updated ICH CAHPS Survey Materials for the 2025 Spring Survey
Changes to Survey MaterialsPosted December 13, 2024

The ICH CAHPS Coordination Team is currently in the process of updating the ICH CAHPS Survey Administration and Specifications Manual, Version 13.0 and survey materials, and would like to give early notification of the following survey materials that will be revised for implementation during the 2025 Spring Survey period.

New Official Survey Language:

In early December 2024, vendors were given early notification that starting with the 2025 Spring Survey, the ICH CAHPS Survey and related materials will now be available in Vietnamese. Vendors were asked to reach out to the Coordination Team if they plan to offer this language starting with the 2025 Spring Survey; if so, personalized translated materials will be provided. Please see this announcement for more information: ICH CAHPS: Vietnamese to be offered as an Official Survey Language Starting with the 2025 Spring Survey

ICH CAHPS Mail Survey:

English, Spanish, Samoan, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Vietnamese: Addition of respondent instruction text in Question 57 (Please mark only one response.) to prevent missing data.
English: Minor text edit made to response option 4 in Question 20 and response option 3 in Question 37.

ICH CAHPS Telephone Script:

English and Spanish: Added an onscreen telephone interviewer note to be read if a respondent asks why they are being asked to share their race. This note has been added to screens for Question 59, Question 59a, and Question 59b.
English: Changed response option 4 of Question 58a to now read as “Other Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino?”

XML Data Layout File:

The ICH CAHPS Survey XML data layout file is being revised for the 2025 Spring Survey to include the addition of Vietnamese for the Survey Language (completed) data variable in the Patient Administrative data record.
- By May 2025, the ICH CAHPS Survey data submission tools (Schema Validation Tool and Data Submission Tool) will be updated to reflect the addition of this new survey language. Announcements will be posted on the website when the revised tools are available.

Model Quality Assurance Plan (QAP):

Updates were made to:
- reflect the survey materials and information vendors should include in their QAP for survey modes they are administering versus survey modes they are approved for; and
- request details on oversight activities that vendors implement when managing subcontractors.

Waiting Room FAQs:

English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese: Revised reference to provider type “Dialysis facilities” to match updated language on Care Compare website.
English, Spanish, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese: Revised reference of number of offered languages from “5” to “6” to account for the Vietnamese
Vietnamese: Created a Waiting Room FAQs document.

Minimum Business Requirements (MBR):

Numerous updates were made to ensure that all ICH CAHPS Survey vendor applicants and currently approved vendors better understand the business requirements that survey vendors must meet to both obtain and retain CMS approval. Vendors must continue to meet these MBRs after an initial application is submitted/approved by CMS. Once posted, vendors are encouraged to review the revised MBRs carefully and contact the Coordination Team with any questions.

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 to include these new changes and requirements. All survey vendors must update their survey materials before the 2025 Spring Survey begins in April 2025. At this time, these are the only survey materials revisions expected; however, survey vendors will be notified should other changes be required.

The revised mail surveys, telephone scripts, MBRs, Model QAP, and XML file will also be made available on the ICH CAHPS website in early February 2025. All updated survey materials will be discussed during the ICH CAHPS Vendor Update Training session on Wednesday, February 12, 2025.

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

2025 In-Center Hemodialysis CAHPS Survey Vendor Update Training Session: Registration Open
Training InformationPosted December 6, 2024

The 2025 ICH CAHPS Survey Vendor Update training will take place on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM Eastern Time (ET). Please note the following:

Registration for the Vendor Update training session is now available here. Registration will close at 5:00 PM ET on February 11, 2025.
Each approved ICH CAHPS Survey vendor’s designated Survey Administrator must attend the entire session.
Although not required, we strongly encourage each vendor to have all key ICH CAHPS staff attend this training session.
To allow us to accurately track registration attendance lines, if multiple people from an organization plan to attend the training session, each person should register separately using their own unique organization email address and name.

Please note the following reminders regarding subcontractor attendance at ICH CAHPS Survey Vendor Update trainings:

For all vendors who are using a subcontractor who will be conducting one or more of the following activities on the ICH CAHPS Survey, the vendor must alert the subcontractor’s lead ICH CAHPS staff member that they are required to register for and attend the Vendor Update training session:
- telephone survey data collection
- mail survey receipt and processing
- construction or submission of XML data files
Subcontractors who conduct printing, mail assembly, or other mailout activities, and those who only monitor/manage the vendor’s ICH CAHPS toll-free hotline, are not required to participate in the Update training sessions.
If you are unsure whether your subcontractor should attend the training, please contact the Coordination Team.

Please contact the ICH CAHPS Coordination Team via email at ichcahps@rti.org if you have any questions about the upcoming 2025 ICH CAHPS Survey Vendor Update training session.

2025 Introduction to the In-Center Hemodialysis CAHPS Survey Training Session (Self-Paced Format): Registration Open
Training InformationPosted December 6, 2024

Registration is now open for the self-paced 2025 Introduction to the In-Center Hemodialysis CAHPS (ICH CAHPS) Survey training. Please note the following:

Registration for this training session is available here. Registration will close at 5:00 PM ET on February 11, 2025.
Self-paced training materials will be available from February 12 to February 19, 2025.
Approved survey vendors and their subcontractors are not required to complete the self-paced Introduction to ICH CAHPS Survey training. However, the Coordination Team strongly encourages new staff from approved vendor organizations to complete this training. These staff do not need to complete a certification at the end of the training.
Approved survey vendors will be required to attend the live ICH CAHPS Survey Vendor Update training session on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, from 2:00 – 3:30 PM ET. Registration for the Vendor Update training session is now available here. Registration will close at 5:00 PM ET on February 11, 2025.

Please contact the ICH CAHPS Coordination Team via email at ichcahps@rti.org if you have any questions about the self-paced 2025 Introduction to the In-Center Hemodialysis CAHPS Survey training session.

ICH CAHPS: Vietnamese to be offered as an Official Survey Language Starting with the 2025 Spring Survey
Changes to Survey MaterialsPosted December 3, 2024

Starting with the 2025 Spring Survey, the ICH CAHPS Survey and related materials will now be available in Vietnamese. We are giving early notification of this new official survey language so that vendors can decide with their facility clients whether to administer the survey in Vietnamese, starting with the 2025 Spring Survey.

The following materials will be made available in Vietnamese and will be discussed during the next ICH CAHPS Vendor Update Training session on February 12, 2025.

Prenotification letter
Cover Letters 1 and 2
Mail Survey
Supplemental Questions
OMB Disclosure Notice
Waiting Room FAQs
XML Data Layout File*

If your vendor organization would like to administer the ICH CAHPS Survey in Vietnamese starting with the 2025 Spring Survey, please respond to this message once you’ve made the decision. The Coordination Team will then provide you with the translated materials so you can begin updating your systems/processes. The 508-compliant versions of these materials will also be available on the website soon.

* Please note that the ICH CAHPS Survey XML data layout file is being revised to include the addition of Vietnamese for the Survey Language (completed) data variable in the Patient Administrative data record. Therefore, all survey vendors must update their XML before the July 30, 2025 data submission deadline for the 2025 Spring Survey. By May 2025, the ICH CAHPS Survey data submission tools (Schema Validation Tool and Data Submission Tool) will be updated to reflect the addition of this new survey language. Announcements will be posted on the website when the revised tools are available.

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

RTI International will be closed November 28 and 29, 2024
Other AnnouncementsPosted November 21, 2024

RTI International will have limited availability on November 27, 2024 and will be closed on November 28 and 29, 2024 for the Thanksgiving holiday. The ICH CAHPS Coordination Team will respond to email and telephone technical assistance inquiries that are received on these dates as soon as possible after RTI re-opens on December 2, 2024.

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

2025 ESRD Prospective Payment System Final Rule
Information for Dialysis FacilitiesPosted November 12, 2024

The ESRD Prospective Payment System (PPS) Final Rule for Calendar Year 2025, which was published in the Federal Register on November 12, 2024, is available here.

Tentative Data Collection Schedule for the 2025 ICH CAHPS Spring Survey
Other AnnouncementsPosted November 7, 2024

The tentative data collection schedule and the dates for some key activities related to the 2025 In-Center Hemodialysis CAHPS (ICH CAHPS) Spring Survey are shown below. Please note that these dates are subject to change. Should a schedule change occur, an announcement will be posted.

Activity	Date
2025 ICH CAHPS Survey Vendor Update Training Session	2/12/2025
2025 Introduction to the ICH CAHPS Survey Self-Administered Training	2/12/2025-2/19/2025
Submit New Facility-Specific Questions to CMS	2/7/2025
Deadline for Authorizing a Vendor for 2025 Spring Survey¹	2/28/2025
Deadline for Submitting a 2025 Facility Non-Participation Form²	2/28/2025
Deadline (for vendors) to submit Facility Closed Attestation form³	2/28/2025
Deadline (for vendors) to Review Vendor Authorization Report and Notify the Coordination Team of any Authorization Issues	3/3/2025
Deadline for Submitting the Updated Quality Assurance Plan	5/31/2025

Sampling Window	10/1/2024-12/31/2024
Sample Files Uploaded on ICH CAHPS Website	3/28/2025
Vendors Attest to Receipt of Sample File	4/1/2025
Mail Prenotification Letter	4/18/2025
Mail 1^st Survey Package (mail-only and mixed mode)/Begin Telephone data collection (phone-only)	5/2/2025
Mail 2^nd Survey Package (mail-only)/Begin Telephone follow-up (mixed mode)	5/30/2025
Data Collection Ends	7/11/2025
Vendors Clean/Process Final Data and Construct XML File	7/11/2025-7/30/2025
Deadline for Submitting XML Data File to ICH Data Center	7/30/2025

¹ Only ICH facilities that will be switching to a different survey vendor and those that will be participating in the ICH CAHPS Survey for the first time will need to complete the online vendor authorization form.
² The Facility Non-Participation Form is an annual form that is valid only for the year in which it was submitted and alerts the Coordination team that a sample file should not be provided for the facility for that year’s surveys. ICH facilities that submitted the 2024 Facility Non-Participation Form must submit the 2025 Facility Non-Participation Form if they do not plan to administer the 2025 ICH CAHPS Spring and Fall Surveys.
³ Submission of the Vendor Facility Closing Attestation Form alerts the Coordination Team that a sample file should not be provided for the facility for the upcoming ICH CAHPS Survey Period, due to the closing of the facility.

Please contact the Coordination Team via email at ichcahps@rti.org or call 1-866-245-8083 if you have any questions or need more information about the 2025 ICH CAHPS Spring Survey.

Patient-Mix Coefficients, Star Ratings, and Average State and National Scores for the ICH CAHPS Survey Results Publicly Reported in October 2024
Information for Dialysis FacilitiesPosted October 24, 2024

The ICH CAHPS Survey results that are currently posted on Care Compare on the Medicare.gov website (https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/) are based on ICH CAHPS Survey data from the 2023 ICH CAHPS Spring and 2023 ICH CAHPS Fall Surveys.

Patient-Mix Coefficients and Star Ratings for the 2024 October Refresh

The results shown are statistically adjusted for both data collection mode and for patient-mix. Information about the adjustments made to the survey results and the coefficients used to adjust the results can be found here. Information presented in this document will allow ICH facilities to approximate the effect of patient-mix adjustment on their ICH CAHPS Survey results that were posted on Care Compare in October 2024. This document also includes additional information on the clustering method used to create ICH CAHPS Star Ratings (Appendix A).

Average State and National Scores for the 2024 October Refresh

In addition, you can click here to see the state and national averages for the three ICH CAHPS composite measures and the three global ratings based on the combined data from these two survey periods. The average response rate for each state and the overall response rate are also provided in this document.

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

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