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.

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

Submitting Data from the 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, provided the questionnaires are administered independently and survey data is submitted according to CAHPS specifications.

Supported versions: The CAHPS Database supports the following versions of the questionnaire:

• CAHPS Home and Community Based Services Survey 1.0
• CAHPS Home and Community Based Services Survey 1.0 with the Employment Module Item Set

What to submit: To participate in the Home and Community-Based Services component, you must provide the CAHPS Database with 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. Learn more about submission requirements and submitting Home and Community-Based Services Survey data.

Submitting Data From the Health Plan Survey

Participation in the Health Plan component of the CAHPS Database is open to all Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP), provided the questionnaires are administered independently and survey data is submitted according to CAHPS specifications.

Supported versions: The CAHPS Database supports the following versions of the CAHPS Health Plan Survey 5.0/5.0H:

• Adult Medicaid
• Child Medicaid (or CHIP) without the Children with Chronic Conditions Item Set
• Child Medicaid (or CHIP) with the Children with Chronic Conditions Item Set

What to submit: To participate in the Health Plan component, you must provide the CAHPS Database with the following elements:

• Copy of CAHPS questionnaire used
• Signed Data Use Agreement
• Health plan characteristics and information
• Data file in CSV format

The CAHPS Database staff will review and approve your questionnaire, Data Use Agreement, and data file. Learn more about submission requirements and submitting Health Plan data.

Submitting Data From the Clinician & Group Survey

Important Update on the CAHPS Clinician & Group Survey Database:

AHRQ is suspending new data submissions for the CG-CAHPS Survey Database beginning in 2021 due to anticipated declines in participation. AHRQ will continue to make available all existing CG-CAHPS Database reporting products, including:

• The most recent two years of data (2018 and 2019) posted on the Online Reporting System.
• The CG-CAHPS Chartbooks, and
• The CG-CAHPS research datasets.

Questions? Email CAHPSDatabase@westat.com.