Winter 2015/2016
The annual Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) survey asks consumers and patients to report on and evaluate their experiences with health care. The results of this survey help pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in patients’ experiences with practice sites and individual physicians.
Included in the survey are the following questions related to medical assistance with smoking and tobacco use cessation:
- Does the member currently smoke or use tobacco?
- Has the member been advised to quit by a provider?
- Did a provider discuss and recommend medication to help quit tobacco use?
- Did a provider discuss or provide methods and strategies to quit?
The findings from the CAHPS® Survey indicate that we need to increase tobacco-related interventions for all of our members. Asking the questions above is an important starting point. In particular, we must improve rates of tobacco related interventions with our members between the ages of 18 and 34, as well as those over 55 years of age.
To obtain tobacco cessation assistance for your patient, you can refer them to Neighborhood’s Quit for Life tobacco cessation program, or advise them to call 1-800-Quit-Now.
CAHPS® is a registered trademark of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).