Skip to Main Content

Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®)

CAHPS® is a standardize patient survey developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and required for Nebraska Total Care by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The goal of the survey is to assess the patients’ perspective of the healthcare they have received. It includes the accessibility to medical services, physician, specialists and communication skills of the physician.

Heritage Health - Nebraska Total Care 

Nebraska Total Care participates in CAHPS® surveys annually, February through June, for both the adult and child members served. The CAHPS® survey results provide data that allows Nebraska Total Care the opportunity to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement in the care our members receive from network physicians, specialists, and behavioral health providers.

Patient Experience

"Understanding patient experience is a key step in moving toward patient-centered care. By looking at various aspects of patient experience, one can assess the extent to which patients are receiving care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs and values. Evaluating patient experience along with other components such as effectiveness and safety of care is essential to providing a complete picture of health care quality." - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

The CAHPS® survey focuses on the patient experience with their healthcare and the areas that they are best qualified to evaluate. This includes areas such as:

  • Communication skills of providers
  • Access to needed care
  • Understanding their diagnosis and treatment plan
  • Ability to participate in treatment decisions
  • Respect for their goals, preferences, and culture
  • Customer Service

Specific questions on the CAHPS® survey include:

  • How often did your personal doctor explain things in a way that was easy to understand?
  • How often did your personal doctor listen carefully to you?
  • How often did your personal doctor show respect for what you had to say?
  • How often did your personal doctor spend enough time with you?

  • Did your doctor/health provider talk about reasons why you might want to take a medication?
  • Did your doctor/health provider talk about reasons why you may not want to take a medication?
  • Did your doctor/health provider ask you what you thought was the best for you when starting/stopping a prescription medication?

In the last six months, how often did your personal doctor seem informed and up-to-date about the care you got from health providers besides your personal doctor or other health providers?

In the last six months, did you and your doctor or other health provider talk about specific things you could do to prevent illness?

Improving CAHPS® Survey Scores

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) offers extensive resources related to the CAHPS® survey on their website.  This includes resources to help providers improve the consumer experience and CAHPS® scores. Resources on their website include: 

Ask Me 3®

To improve the member experience, Nebraska Total Care is promoting the use of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Ask Me 3® initiative. Members are encouraged at every medical appointment to ask:

  • What is my main problem?
  • What do I need to do?
  • Why is it important for me to do this?