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HCAHPS Surveys & Limited English Proficient Patients:
3 Simple Questions
Learn how gathering the answers to three simple questions while reviewing how HCAHPS Surveys are being administered to LEP patients can be highly productive.
Introduction
Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), hundreds of thousands of Americans will receive health insurance for the first time, and many of these will be Limited English Proficient (LEP). LEP patients tend to have higher rates of readmission,i longer lengths of stay,ii and a higher number of associated complications.iii These service patterns will become more expensive under the new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) models for reimbursement and value-based purchasing. As a result, there is now a substantial incentive to improve LEP patient quality of care and patient satisfaction.
The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey is the primary tool used to measure patient satisfaction in relation to ACA-based initiatives. Unfortunately, hospitals’ efforts to improve overall HCAHPS Survey scores are often less successful with LEP patient populations and, conversely, service improvements for LEP patients often aren’t reflected in improved HCAHPS scores due to low survey response rates. This paper outlines one approach to evaluating LEP patient satisfaction: through the lens of language access. The value of this approach is that, regardless of a hospital’s current position in relation to LEP patient quality and satisfaction, it will generate productive conversations about the connection between effective communication, improved service, and satisfaction.
