Protocol for Providing De-identified HHCAHPS Survey Response Data to home health agencies
folder_openChanges to Protocols and Guidelines, Information for Home Health Agenciescalendar_todayPosted July 16, 2012

As you know, HHCAHPS Survey approved vendors can provide survey responses linked to a sample patient’s name and other identifying information only if the sample patient gives his or her consent on the "Consent to Share Identifying Information" question (added to the mail survey questionnaire or if phone interview, added to the telephone script). It was recently brought to our attention that some HHCAHPS Survey vendors are providing their HHA clients with de-identified responses from surveys completed by all respondents, regardless of whether the patients gave their consent to release their survey responses to the home health agency (HHA).

Although it is acceptable to provide de-identified survey responses to the core HHCAHPS questions (Questions 1–25) without the patient’s consent to share his or her survey responses, providing survey responses to the questions that ask for health status and demographic information (Questions 26–32) may enable HHAs with small sample sizes to link survey responses to a specific patient.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has therefore decided that it is not acceptable for HHCAHPS Survey vendors to provide responses to the "About You" questions in the HHCAHPS Survey questionnaire to HHAs, even if those responses are de-identified. Effective immediately, unless survey respondents give their consent to share their survey responses linked to their identifying information, HHCAHPS vendors can no longer share responses to Questions 26–32 with HHAs. This will ensure that patients’ survey data are kept confidential and their right to privacy is protected.

Please contact the HHCAHPS Coordination Team via e-mail at hhcahps@rti.org or call toll-free at (866) 354-0985 if you have any questions.