Originally Published: January 6, 2017 | Updated: August 21, 2026

With patient-centered healthcare continuing to shape how organizations measure and improve the patient and caregiver experience, CAHPS® surveys remain an important part of healthcare quality measurement. For healthcare organizations required to participate in a CAHPS survey, choosing the right CMS-approved CAHPS survey vendor is more than a matter of comparing prices. Your vendor can have a significant impact on survey administration, response rates, data quality, reporting, compliance, and ultimately, your ability to understand and act on your patients’ or caregivers’ experiences. Whether you are selecting a CAHPS vendor for the first time or evaluating your current partner, it is worth taking a closer look at what each vendor actually provides.

So, how do you choose the right CAHPS survey vendor? Here are 10 important factors to consider:

1. Partnership & CAHPS Expertise – Whether this is your first CAHPS survey or your tenth, your survey vendor should be more than a company that simply sends surveys and returns a data file. A strong CAHPS survey vendor should be a knowledgeable partner throughout the entire process — from initial planning and sample preparation through survey administration, data submission, reporting, and interpretation. CAHPS requirements can be detailed, and individual CAHPS programs can have different survey instruments, protocols, approved modes, sampling requirements, reporting schedules, and quality-assurance requirements. CMS-approved survey vendors are expected to follow the applicable program requirements rather than simply applying a one-size-fits-all survey methodology. Look for a survey vendor that can clearly explain:

• How the CAHPS survey process works
• What your organization needs to provide
• Key deadlines and milestones
• Sampling and eligibility requirements
• Survey administration options
• Follow-up procedures
• Data submission requirements
• How results will be reported
• What happens if problems arise during fielding

You should feel comfortable asking questions at any point in the process. A good CAHPS partner should make a complex process easier to understand, not more complicated.

2. Transparency & a Proven Track Record – CAHPS results can influence how healthcare organizations understand their performance and, depending on the survey program, may be publicly reported. That makes transparency particularly important when evaluating a survey vendor. Ask prospective vendors about their experience with your specific CAHPS program, including how long they have administered the survey and how familiar their team is with current CMS requirements. It is also reasonable to ask for client references. A reputable vendor should be willing to provide references or testimonials from organizations with similar CAHPS needs. Speaking directly with current or former clients can give you valuable insight into the things a sales presentation cannot always tell you:

• Was the vendor responsive?
• Were deadlines consistently met?
• Was the process easy to understand?
• Did the vendor proactively identify problems?
• Were reports easy to use?
• Did the vendor help interpret the results?
• Was there a dedicated team available when questions arose?

Tip: Don’t just ask how many CAHPS surveys a vendor conducts. Ask how much experience they have with your particular CAHPS survey and healthcare setting.

3. High Response Rates & Data Quality – Response rates are an important consideration when comparing CAHPS survey vendors—but response rate should never be evaluated in isolation. Ask prospective vendors to provide historical response-rate information for the specific CAHPS program and survey mode(s) you are considering. More importantly, ask how those response rates were achieved. A vendor should be able to explain their approach to:

• Initial survey invitations
• Reminder or follow-up contacts
• Telephone outreach
• Mail protocols
• Web invitations, when applicable
• Language requirements
• Respondent accessibility
• Sample management
• Quality control
• Nonresponse management

Keep in mind that response rates can vary substantially based on the population, survey program, eligibility criteria, mode, and administration protocol. Rather than asking only, “What is your response rate?” ask:

“What response rates have you achieved for organizations like ours, using the CAHPS program and survey mode we will be using?”

That question will give you a much more meaningful comparison.

4. Pricing — and What is Actually Included – Cost is naturally an important factor when selecting a CAHPS survey vendor. However, the lowest proposal is not necessarily the lowest-cost solution. When comparing CAHPS vendor pricing, look beyond the headline number. Ask what is included in the proposal and whether there are additional charges for services such as:

• Survey setup
• Sampling
• Additional languages
• Translation or language support
• Mailings
• Telephone follow-up
• Web survey administration
• Data processing
• Data submission
• Reporting
• Custom reports
• Online dashboards or portals
• Consulting
• Data analysis
• Additional reporting requests
• Project management

Also ask whether pricing changes based on sample size, survey mode, number of facilities, number of languages, or additional services. A transparent vendor should be able to explain exactly what you are paying for. The goal isn’t necessarily to find the cheapest CAHPS vendor. It’s to find the vendor offering the best combination of compliance, quality, service, expertise, and value.

5. Reporting Capabilities – Collecting survey responses is only part of the process. What happens to your data afterward is just as important. Your CAHPS vendor should have experienced analysts who understand the applicable reporting requirements and can prepare and submit your data accurately and on time. Before selecting a vendor, ask to see a sample CAHPS report. Look for reports that make it easy to understand:

• Your organization’s scores
• Question-level results
• Composite or measure-level performance
• Trends over time
• Comparisons with applicable benchmarks
• Areas of strength
• Opportunities for improvement
• Statistical considerations
• Differences among facilities, locations, or populations, when appropriate

Also ask whether reports are standardized or can be customized for your organization’s needs. A good report shouldn’t require a statistician to decipher it.

6. Data Analysis & Consulting – One of the biggest missed opportunities in CAHPS surveying is treating the final report as the finish line. Your survey data should help answer a more important question: What can we do with what we learned? A strong CAHPS survey partner can help your organization move from measurement to action by identifying meaningful patterns in the data and helping stakeholders understand what the results may mean. Ask whether the vendor provides consulting or analysis beyond the standard report. For example, can they help you:

• Identify areas of strength and weakness?
• Understand trends over time?
• Prioritize improvement opportunities?
• Interpret differences between measures?
• Identify questions that warrant additional investigation?
• Develop strategies for quality improvement?
• Present findings to leadership?
• Translate survey findings into actionable recommendations?

CAHPS is ultimately about understanding the experiences of patients, families, caregivers, and other healthcare consumers. The value of the survey increases when organizations can turn those experiences into meaningful improvement.

7. Internal Operations & Quality Control – When evaluating a CAHPS vendor, don’t overlook what happens behind the scenes. Ask how much of the survey process the vendor manages internally. For example, does the vendor operate its own call center? Does it conduct telephone interviews using trained staff? How are interviewers trained and monitored? Are the staff HIPAA-compliant? What quality-control procedures are in place? For surveys that permit telephone administration or telephone follow-up, an experienced internal call center can provide greater control over interviewer training, quality assurance, scheduling, call monitoring, and data collection. However, the right approach depends on the specific CAHPS program. Not every CAHPS survey has the same approved survey modes. For example, CMS currently identifies six approved modes for HCAHPS, including mail, telephone, mixed mail/telephone, and web-based combinations. The CAHPS Hospice Survey currently has three approved modes: mail only, telephone only, and mixed mail followed by telephone. For that reason, don’t simply ask whether a vendor offers telephone, mail, or web surveys. Ask whether the vendor can administer the approved modes for your specific CAHPS program and can explain the advantages and limitations of each.

8. Multiple Survey Mode Capabilities – Survey methodology has evolved significantly since many CAHPS programs were first implemented. Today, depending on the CAHPS program, organizations may have multiple approved administration options, including mail, telephone, web, or mixed-mode approaches. The important point is that there is no single “best” CAHPS survey mode for every organization. Your vendor should be able to explain which modes are available for your specific survey and help you understand how methodology, respondent population, timing, cost, and expected response can affect the decision. Rather than simply choosing the mode that sounds easiest or least expensive, ask your vendor:

“Which survey modes are currently approved for our CAHPS program, and what are the advantages and considerations of each?”

A knowledgeable vendor should be able to give you an answer based on current CMS requirements, not outdated survey practices.

9. Online Portal & Data Access – Another feature worth considering is how easily your organization can access its survey data. A modern CAHPS vendor should ideally provide secure, user-friendly access to your results through an online reporting portal or dashboard. Depending on the CAHPS survey program and survey vendor, useful portal capabilities may include:

• Current and historical results
• Question-level data
• Measure-level results
• Trend reporting
• Benchmark comparisons
• Facility or location comparisons
• Downloadable reports
• Data visualizations
• User permissions
• Exportable data

Real-time access can be particularly valuable for organizations with multiple facilities or stakeholders who need to monitor performance throughout the year. Just remember that “online dashboard” by itself isn’t necessarily a differentiator. Ask what the dashboard actually allows you to do with your data.

10. A Dedicated CAHPS Team – Finally, ask who will actually be managing your account. The person who introduces you to the CAHPS survey team may not be the person responsible for your project once the contract is signed. Ask whether you will have a dedicated CAHPS project team and who your primary contacts will be. Ideally, your team should include people with expertise in areas such as:

• CAHPS project management
• Survey administration
• Sampling
• Data processing
• Statistical analysis
• Reporting
• Quality assurance
• CMS requirements
• Data submission
• Client support

You should also understand how easily you can reach your team when questions arise.

An Important Consideration: CAHPS Requirements Change

One of the most important lessons for organizations evaluating CAHPS vendors is that CAHPS requirements are not static. CMS periodically updates survey instruments, administration protocols, reporting requirements, measures, and other program specifications. For example, the CAHPS Hospice Survey was revised beginning with the second quarter of 2025 decedents. The revised survey introduced a new Care Preferences measure, substantially revised the Getting Hospice Care Training measure, modified Hospice Team Communication, and updated and simplified wording. The Home Health Care CAHPS Survey also introduced a revised survey beginning in April 2026. This is why it is important to choose a vendor that actively monitors CMS updates and incorporates current requirements into its survey administration processes.

When interviewing vendors, ask: “How does your organization stay current with CMS and CAHPS changes?” The answer can tell you a lot about the vendor’s level of expertise.

Final Checklist: Questions to Ask a Potential CAHPS Survey Vendor

Before signing a contract, consider asking each prospective vendor the following questions:

1. Are you currently CMS-approved for the specific CAHPS survey we need to administer?
2. How much experience do you have with our specific CAHPS program?
3. How many organizations like ours do you currently serve?
4. What survey modes are currently approved for our program?
5. What response rates have you achieved for organizations similar to ours?
6. How do you manage nonresponse and follow-up?
7. What languages and accessibility options do you support?
8. What quality-control procedures do you use?
9. Is your telephone interviewing performed in-house?
10. Who will be our primary project contact?
11. How frequently will we receive updates during the survey process?
12. Can we see a sample report?
13. Do you provide an online reporting portal?
14. Can we access historical results and trend data?
15. Do you provide benchmarking?
16. Do you provide data analysis and consulting?
17. What exactly is included in the quoted price?
18. Are there additional fees for languages, reporting, telephone follow-up, or other services?
19. How do you handle CMS updates and changes to survey requirements?
20. Can you provide references from current CAHPS clients?

Choosing a CAHPS Vendor Is About More Than Survey Administration

Selecting a CMS-approved CAHPS survey vendor is an important decision for any healthcare organization participating in a federally administered or supported CAHPS program. An expert survey vendor should do more than distribute surveys and deliver a spreadsheet. Look for a partner that combines CAHPS expertise, rigorous survey methodology, strong quality controls, responsive client service, transparent pricing, meaningful reporting, and actionable data analysis. Most importantly, choose a vendor that understands that behind every response is a patient, family member, caregiver, or healthcare consumer whose experience can help your organization improve. CAHPS surveying is an investment in the quality of the information your organization receives. Take the time to look beyond the proposal and evaluate the people, processes, technology, expertise, and support behind it.

The best CAHPS survey vendor isn’t simply the company that collects your surveys, it’s the partner that helps you make those survey results matter.

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