Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) surveys ask consumers and patients to report on and evaluate their experiences with healthcare. While CAHPS surveys are like patient satisfaction surveys, they are not the same.
CAHPS surveys can include ratings of health plans or providers, but they go beyond ratings by asking patients to report on their experiences with healthcare services. Care reports are regarded as more specific, actionable, understandable, and objective than general ratings alone.
Since July 2019, Amplifon has been using the CAHPS Clinician and Group Survey (CG-CAHPS) which asks patients to report on their experiences with providers and staff in primary care and specialty care settings. The CG-CAHPS survey assesses the patient experience as it relates to the accessibility of care, communication with providers, care coordination, and interactions with staff.
Specifically, the patient experience measures are:
These measurements of patient experience, which generate scores from 0 to 100, are used by Amplifon to evaluate areas where we are performing well and areas where there is room for improvement.
Without a complete health history, it is impossible to fully assess the impact of social, environmental, hereditary, and behavioral factors on a patient’s physical and mental health. Likewise, many prescription medications have a direct effect on hearing, tinnitus, and balance and must be reviewed and updated when assessing patient health. It can be tempting to simply focus on hearing aid recommendations and fittings when working with the hard-of-hearing population but taking the time to review a patient’s medical records and health history will provide insights into each patient and maximize patient outcomes.
Hearing health is more than a retail transaction
Furthermore, survey comments from Amplifon members show that they view hearing healthcare visits more like a retail transaction to purchase hearing aids, rather than a healthcare visit that encompasses their overall health, lifestyle, medical history, and hearing loss. Member statements indicate that because of the focus on the device purchased rather than the care provided, members do not see their provider as part of their medical team but, unfortunately, more as a salesperson or technician.
To improve member understanding, Amplifon is posting information on the Amplifon member blog, sending information in introduction mailings and referral packages aimed at educating members on the impacts of hearing loss on whole-person health. Member education includes information on hearing loss, falls, depression, dementia, and the need for complete health history. To support our providers, in 2021 Amplifon is rolling out a health history form for use by both patients and providers to simplify and expedite the patient visit and encourage both providers and patients to explore their health history more completely.
Our Amplifon providers are the key to optimal patient outcomes. We strive to assist our providers with administrative support, qualified referrals, verification of member benefits, and member education programs. Using CAHPS survey data, we are working to improve the patient experience in care coordination – specifically medical history and review of prescription medications.
