Submitting Data to the CAHPS Databases

To participate in the CAHPS Databases, participating organizations must meet certain requirements and submit specified information, including their survey data, through an online data submission system.

• All participants (or their vendors) must register for an account to access the CAHPS Data Submission System.
• All required information must be received during the submission period and approved by the CAHPS Database staff by the deadline.

CAHPS Data Submission Systems

To participate in one of the CAHPS Databases, you must provide the following elements:

• Copy of CAHPS questionnaire used.
• Signed Data Use Agreement.
• Characteristics of and information about the program.
• Data file in ASCII/flat format.

The CAHPS Database staff will review and approve your questionnaire, Data Use Agreement, and data file.

Submit Results for CAHPS Health Plan Survey

Participation in the Health Plan component of the CAHPS Database is open to all Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) survey sponsors that administer the 5.0 and 5.0H versions of the survey (with or without the Children with Chronic Conditions Item Set).

Submit Results for CAHPS Child Hospital Survey

Participation in the CAHPS Hospital component of the CAHPS Database is open to all hospitals that administer this survey.

Submit Results for CAHPS Home and Community-Based Services Survey

Participation in the Home and Community-Based Services component of the CAHPS Database is open to all home and community-based care settings that administer the 1.0 version of the survey (with or without the Employment Module Item Set).

Note: In 2021, AHRQ suspended new data submissions for the CG-CAHPS Survey Database.

Overview of Standards for Submitting CAHPS Survey Data

All submissions of CAHPS survey results to a CAHPS Database must comply with the following guidelines. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in your data not being included in the Database and may compromise our ability to provide you with a Private Feedback Report.

• Survey instruments must include all core questions from the CAHPS survey. If you omit any of these questions, your data will be excluded from the overall and regional results.
• Survey instruments must not alter the wording of any core questions. If you alter the wording, response options, or response values of these questions, your data will be excluded from the overall and regional results.
• Survey instruments must not omit any of the survey items related to respondent characteristics. These items are used to adjust results for case mix. If you fail to provide this data, your results will not be included in the Database.
  • Characteristics for adults: Respondent's age, education, and self-reported health status.
  • Characteristics for children: Parent's age, parent's education, child's age, and parent's rating of child's health status

Questions? Email CAHPSDatabase@westat.com.