Throughout the year, your patients receive surveys asking about their experiences with their health plan and providers. The first of these, the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey, is distributed in early March. It can be completed online or on paper and asks patients questions about a variety of topics, including:

• Whether they received an annual flu vaccination.
• How easily and quickly they were able to get an appointment.
• How long they had to wait once they arrived for an appointment.
• How effectively their care was coordinated among primary care providers and specialists.

Why it’s important

The goal of the CAHPS survey is to learn more about the patient perspective and use that information to improve health care. Studies show that positive patient experiences lead to better adherence to treatment plans and healthier outcomes.

The CAHPS survey is also important because:

• Cigna Healthcare® aligns incentives to drive improvements in quality care.
• Five-Star Quality Rating System (Star) scores affect payments to Medicare providers and health plans.
• Patient experience accounts for over a third of the overall Star rating.

Doing your part

It is important to remember that every touchpoint and conversation with your patients greatly impacts their CAHPS survey responses. Be sure that they are aware of the survey and the opportunity it represents for them to provide feedback that enhances their care experience. The following represents a few simple ways you can influence those responses and partner with your patients to ensure they receive quality care and better outcomes:

Improve comfort and convenience for your patients by:

• Creating comfortable waiting areas.
• Minimizing telephone hold times.  
• Offering a 24-hour telephone help line that provides after-hours support and next-day callbacks.

Engage your patients at every office visit by:

• Asking about their prescriptions, side effects, and difficulty taking or paying for medications. 
• Discussing generic alternatives, 90-day supplies, and home delivery pharmacy services.   
• Reviewing any specialty care treatments and services.
• Explaining the referral process, including how long it may take.
• Talking about flu and pneumonia vaccinations.

Empower your patients to be their own health advocates by:

• Having open, honest health conversations.  
• Recommending they make a list of questions to bring to every checkup.  
• Stressing the importance of yearly vaccinations.  
• Suggesting they use the Cigna Healthcare Passport to Health to track their preventive care for review during each office visit.  
• Discussing the importance of filling out all health surveys they receive.

Learn more

Cigna Healthcare offers a variety of resources to support your efforts to effectively communicate with your patients and learn more about the CAHPS survey and Star ratings, including the Provider Education and Assessment Tools page on the Cigna Healthcare Medicare Advantage Providers website (MedicareProviders.Cigna.com), which features webinars, disease-specific education, guides, and tools.