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Appendix D: CAHPS TM – Consumer Assessment of Health Plans
Study
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Conceptual basis: to produce a rating of health care plans based on information only
consumers could provide, to assist in consumer choice of health plans in the United
States.
Sought to create surveys that are suitable for and allow valid comparisons across wide range of
potential consumers and with all types of health care delivery systems
Research mainly funded by Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. who gave three
cooperative grants to consortia headed by Research Triangle Institute, RAND and Harvard
Medical School – each consortia took different elements of survey development, and report
creation
produced surveys: adult core (published in Medical Care in English and Spanish), child core and
supplements, and implementation handbook, as well as other supports such as drafts of respondent letters,
SAS program for analysis
also produced reporting products: two versions of a poster and one brochure advertising CAHPS reports,
print guide, "Compare your health plan choices," and computer guide, "Decision Helper"
Adult core consists of:
Yes/No and Never/Sometimes/Usually/Always reports on aspects of health care (e.g "Your personal doctor
or nurse," "Getting care from a specialist")
4 global ratings on 1-10 scale ("Personal doctor or nurse," "Specialist," "Health Care" and "Health
Insurance Plan")
to which supplemental subscales can be added on communication, interpreter, dental care,
mental health, chronic conditions, pregnancy care, prescription medicine, transportation, claims
processing, medicaid enrollment, cost sharing, covered by multiple plans, relation to policy
holders, well child care, medicare. (Some are required for certain populations, such the one on
Medicare when surveying a Medicare Managed Care population).
Populations used in
Different forms of health plans (fee-for-service, managed care, and hybrids), and across various types of
health insurance (private, Medicaid and Medicare)