Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS)® Surgical Care Survey Version 2.0

The following 6 composites and 1 single-item measure are generated from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) Surgical Care Survey. Each measure is used to assess a particular domain of surgical care quality from the patient’s perspective.

Measure 1: Information to help you prepare for surgery (2 items)
Measure 2: How well surgeon communicates with patients before surgery (4 items)
Measure 3: Surgeon’s attentiveness on day of surgery (2 items)
Measure 4: Information to help you recover from surgery (4 items)
Measure 5: How well surgeon communicates with patients after surgery (4 items)
Measure 6: Helpful, courteous, and respectful staff at surgeon’s office (2 items)
Measure 7: Rating of surgeon (1 item)

The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Surgical Care Survey (S-CAHPS) is a standardized survey instrument that asks patients about their experience before, during and after surgery received from providers and their staff in both inpatient and outpatient (or ambulatory) settings. S-CAHPS is administered to adult patients (age 18 and over) that had an operation as defined by CPT codes (90 day globals) within 3 to 6 months prior to the start of the survey.

The S-CAHPS expands on the CAHPS Clinician & Group Survey (CG-CAHPS), which focuses on primary and specialty medical care, by incorporating domains that are relevant to surgical care, such as sufficient communication to obtain informed consent, anesthesia care, and post-operative follow-up and care coordination. Other questions ask patients to report on their experiences with office staff during visits and to rate the surgeon.

The S-CAHPS survey is sponsored by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). The survey was approved as a CAHPS product in early 2010 and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released version 1.0 of the survey in the spring of 2010. The S-CAHPS survey Version 2.0 was subsequently endorsed by NQF in June 2012 (NQF #1741). The survey is part of the CAHPS family of patient experience surveys and is available in the public domain at https://cahps.ahrq.gov/surveys-guidance/cg/about/index.html. Surgeons may customize the S-CAHPS survey by adding survey items that are specific to their patients and practice. However, the core survey must be used in its entirety in order to be comparable with other S-CAHPS data. The S-CAHPS survey is available in English and Spanish.

The 6 composite measures are made up of the following items:

The 1 single item measure (Measure 7) is (Q35): Using any number from 0 to 10, where 0 is the worst surgeon possible and 10 is the best surgeon possible, what number would you use to rate all your care from this surgeon?

Measure 1: Information to help you prepare for surgery (2 items)
Q3. Before your surgery, did anyone in this surgeon´s office give you all the information you needed about your surgery?
Q4. Before your surgery, did anyone in this surgeon’s office give you easy to understand instructions about getting ready for your surgery?

Measure 2: How well surgeon communicates with patients before surgery (4 items)
Q9. During your office visits before your surgery, did this surgeon listen carefully to you?
Q10. During your office visits before your surgery, did this surgeon spend enough time with you?
Q11. During your office visits before your surgery, did this surgeon encourage you to ask questions?
Q12. During your office visits before your surgery, did this surgeon show respect for what you had to say?

Measure 3: Surgeon’s attentiveness on day of surgery (2 items)
Q15. After you arrived at the hospital or surgical facility, did this surgeon visit you before your surgery?
Q17. Before you left the hospital or surgical facility, did this surgeon discuss the outcome of your surgery with you?

Measure 4: Information to help you recover from surgery (4 items)
Q26. Did anyone in this surgeon’s office explain what to expect during your recovery period?
Q27. Did anyone in this surgeon’s office warn you about any signs or symptoms that would need immediate medical attention during your recovery period?
Q28. Did anyone in this surgeon’s office give you easy to understand instructions about what to do during your recovery period?
Q29. Did this surgeon make sure you were physically comfortable or had enough pain relief after you left the hospital or surgical facility where you had your surgery?

Measure 5: How well surgeon communicates with patients after surgery (4 items)
Q31. After your surgery, did this surgeon listen carefully to you?
Q32. After your surgery, did this surgeon spend enough time with you?
Q33. After your surgery, did this surgeon encourage you to ask questions?
Q34. After your surgery, did this surgeon show respect for what you had to say?

Measure 6: Helpful, courteous, and respectful staff at surgeon’s office (2 items)
Q36. During these visits, were clerks and receptionists at this surgeon’s office as helpful as you thought they should be?
Q37. During these visits, did clerks and receptionists at this surgeon’s office treat you with courtesy and respect?