HCAHPS - What is this and where did it come from? A Guest Post from Nancy English

Hello Readers,

In order to provide diverse, original, and up-to-the-minute information on important industry topics, your NAMSS Blog will now feature guest bloggers. If you have some ideas for a blog entry and would like to be considered for guest blogger opportunities, please contact us. 

Our first guest blogger is a knowledgeable Medical Staff Professional with more than 20 years of experience:  Nancy L. English, CPMSM, Director of Medical Staff Services at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital HEB in Bedford, Texas.  Her years of work and study in the Medical Staff Services field have given her a significant knowledge base from which to draw and willingly share with others. 

Nancy is passionate about education, particularly when it comes to matters relating to any and all MSPs.  Nancy will provide a series of blog posts on timely topics.   Her first post, "HCAHPS - What is this and where did it come from?", is below.  Thank you, Nancy, and welcome aboard!

HCAHPS - What is this and where did it come from? 

HCAHPS is an acronym for Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems.  It is a standardized survey of patients (post-discharge) and their perspectives on the care they received during their recent hospital stay. 

The HCAHPS came from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a way to measure hospital quality, and to compare hospitals locally, regionally and nationally.  This survey has been endorsed by the National Quality Forum which has representatives from health care, patient/consumer groups, the government and other  groups with vested interests in the health care provided in our country. 

One purpose for HCAHPS is to collect data from patients, compile a statistical picture of quality provided at health care entities across the nation, compare those statistics, and publish their findings so the public can make decisions on where they want to go for their health care needs. 

There is actually much  more to it than explained in this brief post.  So, what else is there and what does this mean for my health care entity, physician group or network?  Stay tuned for more on this topic.