There has been interesting news over the past several months regarding CMS’ Hospice Compare website. As reported by Modern Healthcare, the website provided wrong information to consumers. Additionally, despite these problems, the website for the first time released the results of the CAHPS Hospice Survey.
Problems on Website
The website debuted in 2017 and quickly ran into problems. As reported and noted by Carol Spence, the vice president of research and quality for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, there were problems with incorrect addresses. Additionally, phone numbers and profit status have been flagged as incorrect.
“If you are a family in crisis, you’re already under so much stress as it is,” Spence said. “Then you call a hospice, and the first thing you hear is that ‘We can’t help you because you’re not in an area we serve.’”
A CMS spokesman said its investigation into the issue revealed errors in the underlying methodology related to the geographic search function on Hospice Compare.
“We understand the distress that patients and caregivers that are seeking hospice care may be experiencing when searching for such services,” the spokesman said. “So that we may best serve our beneficiaries, providing the most effective and expedient solution to these issues is our highest priority.”
Problems have also been previously noted by physicians on the Physician Compare website. Complaints surrounded numerous issues with the website’s data, such as wrong information on location and phone numbers of physicians. The website also did not correctly list whether physicians are participating in certain quality programs.
CAHPS Hospice Survey
The survey—the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS)—asks family members or friends who cared for a patient who died under hospice about their experience with the provider. The survey contains 47 questions, and all hospices that have 50 or more patient/family caregiver pairs are required to participate in order to receive their full Medicare payment update.
The results published on Hospice Compare apply to all Medicare-certified hospices that had at least 30 completed surveys during the eight quarters from the second quarter of 2015 through the first quarter of 2017.