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Survey Vendor Application Process

Step 1 – Vendor submits Participation form. 
  • Review the minimum business requirements for survey vendors and confirm your organization meets these requirements.
  • When the vendor application period is open, complete the participation application.  Include, in detail, all subcontractor relationships. Fully document how you’ll fulfill the minimum survey vendor business requirements. Submit your application to the CAHPS for PQRS Survey Project Team during the registration period. Survey vendor participation for the 2021 survey administration period was open from April 4, 2021 to April 21, 2021 .

 Step 2 – Vendor successfully completes training

  • Approved applicants (vendors’ and subcontractors’ key staff) must participate in a webinar-based training and pass a quiz at the end of the training session. This training covers the procedures, requirements and timeline that vendors need to follow for survey administration and data reporting. 

Vendors whose applications are approved, successfully participate in training and pass a quiz at the end of the training session can become approved vendors. The final list of approved CAHPS for PQRS Survey vendors is now available on the Approved Vendor List page. 

Approved vendors must follow the procedures in the CAHPS for PQRS Survey Quality Assurance Guidelines to maintain their status as a CMS-approved vendor. 

About the Survey

The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Survey for group practices participating in the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) was developed to collect information about patient experience and care within that group practice. The yearly CAHPS for PQRS Survey collects data through two survey mailings and follow-up phone calls to non-respondents to measure the twelve key domains of beneficiaries’ experiences of care. CAHPS asks patients about the interpersonal aspects of health care—aspects for which patients may be the best, if not the only source of information—and areas that patients have identified as being important to them.

Survey Vendor Training

Click here for information about training for survey vendors

Quality Assurance Guidelines

The survey administration protocols are contained in the CAHPS for PQRS Survey Quality Assurance Guidelines.