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NQF endorses patient satisfaction survey

Quality Improvement Monitor, May 19, 2005

The National Quality Forum (NQF) on May 13 announced its endorsement of a standardized survey of patients' perception of their experience of hospital care. 

The primary purpose of the NQF-endorsed survey instrument, commonly referred to as Hospital CAHPS, or HCAHPS, is to provide standardized information across institutions and over time about how patients perceived their care. HCAHPS is a 27-item survey designed and developed over a three-year period by CMS and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

The survey includes 22 questions addressing seven areas of hospital care: communication with physicians, communication with nurses, responsiveness of hospital staff, pain management, communication about medicines, cleanliness and quiet of the environment, and discharge information. It also includes five demographic questions (used for patient-mix adjustment and other analytic purposes).

Other specifications include sampling, survey administration, survey and patient-mix adjustment, and reporting. Results from this NQF-endorsed standard are intended for public reporting.

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