Announcements

Back

Announcements

OAS CAHPS Preview Reports Available for Quarter 1, 2023 through Quarter 4, 2023
Public ReportingPosted October 16, 2024

The purpose of this announcement is to alert hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) that Preview Reports reflecting results from the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery CAHPS (OAS CAHPS) Survey for January 2023 through December 2023 (Q1, 2023 - Q4, 2023) are now available on the OAS CAHPS website.

The following are some frequently asked questions and answers about the Preview Reports. More information about the OAS CAHPS Survey Preview Reports can be found in the "Understanding the Preview Reports" link under the For Facilities menu tab on the OAS CAHPS website.

Who has access to a facility's Preview Report?
HOPDs and ASCs participating in the OAS CAHPS Survey have access to their own reports. The Preview Report is not available to OAS CAHPS Survey vendors or to anyone other than the facility staff registered through the https://oascahps.org website. If facility staff want to share the Preview Report with their OAS CAHPS Survey vendor or with anyone else, they can export the results to a Microsoft Excel File and distribute it.

How does a facility user access its Preview Report?
The Preview Reports are posted on the secured (private) link on https://oascahps.org/. To access a facility's report, an authorized user must first log into the OAS CAHPS website with their registered username and password. Then, select the "Survey Preview Report" link under the "For Facilities" menu tab. All of the user's registered CMS Certification Numbers (CCNs) are displayed on the Preview Report webpage for review.

What results are shown in the Preview Reports?
For each CCN, the Preview Report shows the results for each variable and measure shown below:
1. The number of patients who were sampled; the number of completed surveys; and the response rate percentage during the reporting period;
2. The percentage of patients who rated the overall care they received at the HOPD or ASC a "9" or "10" on a scale of 0 (worst care possible) to 10 (best care possible);
3. The percentage of patients who reported YES, they would definitely recommend the HOPD or ASC to friends and family;
4. The percentage of patients who reported that the HOPD or ASC staff gave care in a professional way and the facility was clean;
5. The percentage of patients who reported that the HOPD or ASC staff definitely communicated with them about what to expect during and after the procedure; and
6. The percentage of patients who reported that the HOPD or ASC staff definitely gave them information about what to do if they had pain, nausea or vomiting, bleeding, or possible signs of infection as a result of the procedure or the anesthesia, if any of these outcomes were experienced. NOTE: While CMS reviews the data, Composite 3 will not be publicly reported on CMS' website. At this time, this composite score is only available directly to each facility through the Preview Report.
More information about the OAS CAHPS Survey measures in the Preview Reports can be found in Chapter XVI of the OAS CAHPS Survey Protocols and Guidelines Manual available under the Survey Materials menu tab on the OAS CAHPS website.

Which sample months are included in the Preview Report results?
The results included in the current Preview Report are based on OAS CAHPS Survey response data from patients who had an outpatient surgery or procedure January 2023 through December 2023. The future anticipated public reporting periods are provided in Table 16.2 of the OAS CAHPS Survey Protocols and Guidelines Manual.

My facility participated in the OAS CAHPS Survey, but there are no results shown. Why?
OAS CAHPS Survey results are publicly reported when an HOPD or ASC has 4 quarters of OAS CAHPS Survey data. An HOPD or ASC must have had survey response data (patients who responded to the survey) in all 4 quarters included in the public reporting period for results to be publicly reported.

Please contact the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team via e-mail at oascahps@rti.org or call toll-free (866) 590-7468, if you have any questions.

Process to Suppress OAS CAHPS Survey Data from Public Reporting for January 2025 Refresh
Public ReportingPosted October 15, 2024

During voluntary implementation, CMS will allow participating hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) to have their data suppressed, that is, not displayed on data.CMS.gov/provider-data.

OAS CAHPS Survey data are scheduled refresh in January 2025, which includes data from Quarter 2, 2023 - Quarter 1, 2024.

For the January 2025 refresh, vendors must notify the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team (via email at oascahps@rti.org) by November 15, 2024, of any CCNs that choose to exclude their data from public reporting. Please note that the deadline for suppression is earlier than the date by which the Preview Reports are posted on oascahps.org.

The e-mail message to the Coordination Team for suppression requests should include the HOPD's or ASC's name and CMS Certification Number (CCN).

Future plans for Public Reporting: Participation requirements and public reporting for OAS CAHPS will change for HOPDs for data collected for CY 2024 and for ASCs for data collected for CY 2025.

As noted in the Final Rule for CY 2024, to receive the annual payment update (APU) for calendar year (CY) 2026, all Medicare-certified hospital outpatient departments (HOPDs) that are not eligible for an exemption from participation in the OAS CAHPS Survey must participate in the OAS CAHPS Survey on a continuous monthly basis from January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024. ASCs will follow a similar schedule in 2025.
Because participation is no longer voluntary for HOPDs, HOPDs can no longer choose to have their data suppressed from public reporting on data.CMS.gov/provider-data once the data from 4 quarters of 2024 are publicly reported.

Please contact the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team via e-mail at oascahps@rti.org or call toll-free (866) 590-7468, if you have any questions.

Calendar Year (CY) 2024, Quarter 2 Data Submission Deadline Reminder – October 9, 2024
Data SubmissionPosted October 2, 2024

The data submission deadline for submitting Quarter 2 of calendar year 2024 data (CY24, Q2) to the OAS CAHPS Data Center is Wednesday, October 9, 2024. We thank those OAS CAHPS Survey vendors who have already begun submitting CY24, Q2 data for their client facilities. If you have not submitted any data for Quarter 2, we encourage you to begin submitting your files as soon as possible.

As we approach the next data submission deadline, please note the important points provided below.

Check your Vendor Authorization Report to make sure that all client facilities have authorized your organization to submit data on their behalf.
CMS will not accept any data files for the April, May, and/or June 2024 sample months after 8:00 PM Eastern Time on October 9, 2024.
Survey vendors should start submitting their data files as soon as possible to allow adequate time to re-submit data, if needed. You may submit files as many times as needed as long as the final file submission is successfully uploaded by the deadline.
Each time a data file for an HOPD or ASC is submitted, it overwrites any previously submitted data for that same facility for that survey period.
You must still submit an XML data file for an HOPD or ASC facility even if the corresponding monthly patient information file does not have any patients eligible to be sampled.
After each file upload, you will receive an email confirmation within several minutes notifying you whether the upload was successful.
All submitted files will go through validation checks. After the validation check is conducted, you will receive a second e-mail confirmation message notifying you whether your file has been accepted or rejected. The confirmation e-mail message will contain a hyperlink to a Data Submission Report, which shows details of the validation check and any file errors that were identified.
Survey vendors can access the Data Submission Reports on the project website by selecting "History" through the "Data Submission Reports" link in the Data Submission menu.
If you do not receive an e-mail message confirming that your file was successfully uploaded, an e-mail message providing the results of the validation checks, or you cannot view the Data Submission Reports on files that you have submitted, please contact the OAS CAHPS Data Center at oascahps@rti.org.

For additional information about data file preparation and data submission processes, please review Chapter XIII of the OAS CAHPS Survey Protocols and Guidelines Manual available under the Survey Materials tab on the OAS CAHPS website. Please contact the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team via e-mail at oascahps@rti.org or call toll-free (866) 590-7468 if you have any questions or trouble submitting data files.

Calendar Year (CY) 2024, Quarter 2 Data Submission Deadline Reminder – October 9, 2024
Data SubmissionPosted September 25, 2024

As we approach the next data submission deadline, please note the important points provided below.

Check your Vendor Authorization Report to make sure that all client facilities have authorized your organization to submit data on their behalf.
CMS will not accept any data files for the April, May, and/or June 2024 sample months after 8:00 PM Eastern Time on October 9, 2024.
Survey vendors should start submitting their data files as soon as possible to allow adequate time to re-submit data, if needed. You may submit files as many times as needed as long as the final file submission is successfully uploaded by the deadline.
Each time a data file for an HOPD or ASC is submitted, it overwrites any previously submitted data for that same facility for that survey period.
You must still submit an XML data file for an HOPD or ASC facility even if the corresponding monthly patient information file does not have any patients eligible to be sampled.
After each file upload, you will receive an email confirmation within several minutes notifying you whether the upload was successful.
All submitted files will go through validation checks. After the validation check is conducted, you will receive a second e-mail confirmation message notifying you whether your file has been accepted or rejected. The confirmation e-mail message will contain a hyperlink to a Data Submission Report, which shows details of the validation check and any file errors that were identified.
Survey vendors can access the Data Submission Reports on the project website by selecting "History" through the "Data Submission Reports" link in the Data Submission menu.
If you do not receive an e-mail message confirming that your file was successfully uploaded, an e-mail message providing the results of the validation checks, or you cannot view the Data Submission Reports on files that you have submitted, please contact the OAS CAHPS Data Center at oascahps@rti.org.

Calendar Year (CY) 2024, Quarter 2 Data Submission Deadline Reminder – October 9, 2024
Data SubmissionPosted September 11, 2024

As we approach the next data submission deadline, please note the important points provided below.

Check your Vendor Authorization Report to make sure that all client facilities have authorized your organization to submit data on their behalf.
CMS will not accept any data files for the April, May, and/or June 2024 sample months after 8:00 PM Eastern Time on October 9, 2024.
Survey vendors should start submitting their data files as soon as possible to allow adequate time to re-submit data, if needed. You may submit files as many times as needed as long as the final file submission is successfully uploaded by the deadline.
Each time a data file for an HOPD or ASC is submitted, it overwrites any previously submitted data for that same facility for that survey period.
You must still submit an XML data file for an HOPD or ASC facility even if the corresponding monthly patient information file does not have any patients eligible to be sampled.
After each file upload, you will receive an email confirmation within several minutes notifying you whether the upload was successful.
All submitted files will go through validation checks. After the validation check is conducted, you will receive a second e-mail confirmation message notifying you whether your file has been accepted or rejected. The confirmation e-mail message will contain a hyperlink to a Data Submission Report, which shows details of the validation check and any file errors that were identified.
Survey vendors can access the Data Submission Reports on the project website by selecting "History" through the "Data Submission Reports" link in the Data Submission menu.
If you do not receive an e-mail message confirming that your file was successfully uploaded, an e-mail message providing the results of the validation checks, or you cannot view the Data Submission Reports on files that you have submitted, please contact the OAS CAHPS Data Center at oascahps@rti.org.

Registration Now Open for the OAS CAHPS Survey Vendor Update Webinar Training Session
TrainingPosted September 3, 2024

Registration is now open for the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery CAHPS (OAS CAHPS) Survey Vendor Update Webinar Training session, which will take place on November 13, 2024, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Eastern Time.

To register, please complete the Training Registration Form.

Survey vendors who wish to retain their status as approved OAS CAHPS Survey vendors are required to have their designated OAS CAHPS Project Director attend the entire session. We also strongly encourage all key OAS CAHPS staff, including sampling, data managers and subcontractors, to attend the Update Training. Key subcontractors are defined as a subcontractor that will conduct substantive work to support the implementation of the OAS CAHPS Survey. For purposes of this survey, substantive work is defined as follows:

ANY statistical function, including sample selection,
telephone or web survey data collection (i.e., if an approved vendor is subcontracting data collection activities),
returned mail and questionnaire receipt,
processing data for mail, telephone or web, and
construction or submission of XML data files.

There are no restrictions on the number of people attending or the number of lines required for each vendor.

Approved vendors that wish to apply for approval to administer one or both web mixed modes and have not done so previously will also need to register for the Introduction to the OAS CAHPS Survey self-paced training, review the necessary Survey Administration modules for the web mode(s), and complete (and pass) an online web certification, which will be available after the Update Training.

If you have any questions, you can contact the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team at oascahps@rti.org or call toll-free 1-866-590-7468.

Registration Now Open for the Introduction to the OAS CAHPS Survey Self-Paced Training
TrainingPosted September 3, 2024

Registration is now open for the 2024 Introduction to the Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery CAHPS (OAS CAHPS) Survey self-paced training. Please note that training materials will be available on this website beginning in early November 2024.

To register, please complete the Training Registration Form.

Survey vendors interested in becoming an approved OAS CAHPS Survey vendor will be required to do the following:

Meet a set of minimum business requirements located here: Minimum Business Requirements (oascahps.org)
Designate a staff member to be the OAS CAHPS Project Director who will also serve as the vendor's OAS CAHPS Survey Administrator.
The vendor's designated OAS CAHPS Survey Administrator must complete the online Vendor Registration Form (available under the "For Vendors" menu) to obtain login credentials to the OAS CAHPS website.
After submitting the Vendor Registration Form, the OAS CAHPS Survey Administrator can complete and submit the Vendor Application available via the Vendor Dashboard.
The OAS CAHPS Survey Administrator will be required to submit a notarized must OAS CAHPS Survey Administrator Consent Form to the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team. Details on how to submit this form will be communicated after the Vendor Application is received.
The vendor's designated OAS CAHPS Project Director must register for and complete the self-paced Introduction to OAS CAHPS Survey Training.
The designated OAS CAHPS Project Director must also successfully complete and pass a training certification. Details on how to access this certification will be communicated after the Vendor Application is received.
Agree to implement the OAS CAHPS Survey using standardized protocols and procedures described in the OAS CAHPS Survey Protocols and Guidelines Manual available under the "Survey Materials" tab on the OAS CAHPS website.
If interim approval is granted:
- Newly approved vendors must attend all OAS CAHPS Update Training sessions. We strongly encourage all key OAS CAHPS staff, including sampling and data managers and key subcontractors, to attend the OAS CAHPS Survey trainings.
- Must develop and submit a Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) within 6 weeks after the vendor's first quarterly OAS CAHPS Survey data submission.
- Participate and cooperate in all oversight activities conducted by the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team, including but not limited to conference calls and site visits, as deemed necessary.

More information about the survey and the requirements for becoming an approved OAS CAHPS Survey vendor can be found in Chapter III of the OAS CAHPS Survey Protocols and Guidelines Manual, Version 8.1, available under the "Survey Materials" menu tab on this website.

Staff from hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, health care organizations, and other organizations interested in the implementation of the OAS CAHPS Survey may review this training as well but are not required to do so.

Survey vendors who have already been approved to conduct the OAS CAHPS Survey are not required to review the Introductory Training. However, approved survey vendors are required to attend the OAS CAHPS Survey Update Training session, which will be held via webinar on Wednesday, November 13, 2024.

If you have any questions, you can contact the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team at oascahps@rti.org or call toll-free 1-866-590-7468.

RTI International will be closed September 2, 2024
Other AnnouncementsPosted August 29, 2024

RTI International will be closed on September 2, 2024, in observance of Labor Day. The OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team will respond to email and telephone inquiries that are received on those dates after RTI re-opens.

Please contact the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team via e-mail at oascahps@rti.org or call toll-free (866) 590-7468, if you have any questions.

Request for Interest in Becoming an Approved OAS CAHPS Survey Vendor
TrainingPosted August 12, 2024

Important Information for Survey Organizations Interested in Becoming an Approved OAS CAHPS Survey Vendor

***Any survey organization, not already a CMS-approved survey vendor for OAS CAHPS and interested in applying to become an approved OAS CAHPS Survey vendor must notify the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team of their interest via email at oascahps@rti.org no later than September 1, 2024.***

The OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team is preparing for the next vendor application review cycle. This will include accepting and processing applications from survey organizations and training those survey vendors to become a CMS-approved OAS CAHPS Survey vendor. We request that any interested survey organizations notify us of their intent to submit an application via email by September 1, 2024. To become a CMS-approved OAS CAHPS Survey vendor, survey organizations must, at a minimum:

complete and submit the online OAS CAHPS Vendor Application form,
meet the minimum business requirements posted under the "For Vendors" menu tab on this website,
register for and complete the self-paced Introduction to the OAS CAHPS Survey Training,
complete and pass an online certification after completing the Introductory Training
attend any subsequent OAS CAHPS Survey Vendor Update Webinar Training sessions, and
ensure that any subcontractors with significant roles and staff who are in receipt of patient identifying data participate in all vendor training sessions. Key subcontractors are defined as a subcontractor that will conduct substantive work to support the implementation of the OAS CAHPS Survey. Substantive work is defined as follows:
- ANY statistical function, including sample selection,
- telephone or web survey data collection (i.e., if an approved vendor is subcontracting data collection activities),
- returned mail and questionnaire receipt,
- processing data for mail, telephone or web, and
- construction or submission of XML data files.

Additional information about survey vendor responsibilities on the OAS CAHPS Survey can be found in Chapter III of the OAS CAHPS Survey Protocols and Guidelines Manual, Version 8.1 that is available under the "Survey Materials" menu on this website.

Please contact the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team via email at oascahps@rti.org or call toll-free (866) 590-7468, if you have any questions about this request for interest.

2024 OAS CAHPS Survey Update Webinar Training Session
TrainingPosted August 12, 2024

The next Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery CAHPS (OAS CAHPS) Survey Vendor Update Webinar Training session will take place on Wednesday, November 13, 2024. The session will be held from 1:00 to 3:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Online registration to attend the OAS CAHPS Survey Vendor Update Webinar Training session will be available soon. Please monitor this website for an announcement that registration is open.

Survey vendors who wish to retain their status as approved OAS CAHPS Survey vendors must have their OAS CAHPS Project Director attend the entire session. We also strongly encourage all key OAS CAHPS staff, including sampling, data managers and subcontractors, to attend the Update Training. Key subcontractors are defined as a subcontractor that will conduct substantive work to support the implementation of the OAS CAHPS Survey. For purposes of this survey, substantive work is defined as follows:

ANY statistical function, including sample selection,
telephone or web survey data collection (i.e., if an approved vendor is subcontracting data collection activities),
returned mail and questionnaire receipt,
processing data for mail, telephone or web, and
construction or submission of XML data files.

If you have questions, you can contact the OAS CAHPS Survey Coordination Team via email at oascahps@rti.org or call 1-866-590-7468.

Older