Home Health Quality Campaign – Satisfaction Toolkit
This goal is to improve overall satisfaction with home health care with the following survey measurement tool from the Home Health Care Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HHCAHPS). This survey is the first national standardized and publicly reported survey of home health care patients’ perspectives of their skilled home care. The survey was nationally implemented on a voluntary basis in October 2009, and the survey was required for the Medicare annual payment update requirements beginning with a one-month dry run in the period of July-September 2010, and monthly continuous data collection beginning in October 2010. The National Quality Forum endorsed the HHCAHPS in March 2009.
About the survey:
HHCAHPS is a 34-item questionnaire and data collection methodology to measure patients’ perceptions of their skilled home care. The survey can be completed by the patient, or the patient may have a proxy answer the questionnaire with their responses by the three survey modes of mail only, telephone only, and mixed mode. There are 25 “core questions” and nine “about you” questions on HHCAHPS. Questions cover topics such as communication about care, pain, and prescription medication use, the care received from the home health agency, staying informed about scheduling, and global ratings.
Public reporting and policy relevance:
Beginning in 2012, the survey results have been publicly reported. HHCAHPS data results are posted on medicare.gov on Home Health Compare. Of the 25 core questions, 17 core questions are grouped into three survey composites, or groupings of like topics, for the purpose of public reporting. The three composites that are publicly reported are “Care of Patients,” “Communications Between Providers and Patients,” and “Specific Care Issues.” We also report the results of two global or overall measures (questions) called “Overall Rating of the Home Health Agency” and “Would You Recommend this Agency to Family and Friends.”
For more information, please visit the HHCAHPS website.
Additional resources: