Patient survey results help you choose a home health agency
April 19
By Marilyn Tavenner, Acting Administrator
The day is finally here – weeks after a fall that resulted in a broken hip, you’re ready to go home. You know you’re going to continue to need treatment and services at home, but where do you find a resource to help you through this next step on the road to recovery?
Now there’s an objective and meaningful way to compare other patients’ actual experiences with home health agencies and services—the Home Health Care Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HHCAHPS) Survey – and we’ve just released the first set of survey results on our Home Health Compare page.
People with Medicare that are getting home health services fill out this short survey that asks about the care they got from the home health agency in the last 2 months, how they’d rate the care, and how strongly they’d recommend that agency.
The initial survey results cover the period from October 2010 to September 2011. Most people who got home health care from Medicare-certified home health agencies during that time said they got the care they needed. In fact:
- 84% of patients gave their home health agency a rating of 9 or 10 on a scale from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
- 80% of patients said “yes, they would definitely recommend the home health agency to friends.”
- 87% of patients said their home health team provided care in a professional way.
- 86% said their home health team communicated well with them.
- 83% said their home health team discussed medicines, pain, and home safety.
By making the results public, we help keep home health agencies openly accountable and continuously working to improve their quality of care.
Let Medicare make it easier for you on your road to recovery. We can help you make an informed decision when choosing a home health agency that best meets your needs—visit our Home Health Compare for the latest patient survey results.