The OAS CAHPS (Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) Survey becomes mandatory for Medicare-certified ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) on Jan. 1, 2025. For ASCs that fail to comply with the new requirement, they will be subject to a decrease in Medicare reimbursement rates in 2027 and beyond.
While there's no Medicare reimbursement penalty for poor survey performance, ASCs' OAS CAHPS results will be publicly reported and accessible on Medicare's "Care Compare" tool beginning in 2026. Low OAS CAHPS scores — which would suggest that patients have a negative experience with the care they receive before, during, and/or after their visit to a surgery center — could cause great harm to an ASC.
Many factors will influence OAS CAHPS scores, most notably the care patients receive at ASCs. But good care and outcomes may not automatically translate to good OAS CAHPS scores. The survey is designed to measure the patient experience — in other words, how patients perceive their care. Suboptimal results could reflect a disconnect between the patient experience and the topics covered in the survey. ASCs hoping to achieve high OAS CAHPS scores that help distinguish the facility will want to focus on and speak to these topics. Such efforts can help influence how patients feel about their experience with these topics — and hopefully do so in a positive manner that leads to better scores.
Enter text messaging. Timely messages sent to patients, worded in ways that bring attention to OAS CAHPS areas of focus, can be a difference-maker for ASCs. These texts can leave a lasting impression on patients, so when it's time for them to complete OAS CAHPS surveys, the topics highlighted may be more likely to stand out in ways that translates to better scores. Conversational, two-way text messages, which enable patients to respond to texts with messages of their own, can further enhance engagement.
Text Messages That Can Improve OAS CAHPS Survey Scores
What might these text messages look like? Below are 10 OAS CAHPS survey questions and examples of texts that can positively influence patients about the questions.
Text messages sent prior to the procedure
1. Before your procedure, did your doctor or anyone from the facility give you all the information you needed about your procedure?
What to say in a text: "All of the information you need to know about your procedure at Main Street Surgery Center can be accessed at http://bit.ly/surgeryinfo. If you have any questions, reply to this message or call 877-666-1132. We look forward to seeing you on Monday for your procedure!"
2. Did the check-in process run smoothly?
What to say in a text: "We want to make the check-in process at Main Street Surgery Center run smoothly for you! When you arrive, please come to the registration window and one of our staff will be happy to get you checked in."
3. Were the clerks and receptionists at the facility as helpful as you thought they should be?
What to say in a text: "When you are at Main Street Surgery Center, do not hesitate to ask any of our clerks or receptionists for help. They will be happy to help you, answer any questions, and make sure you have a great surgical experience."
4. Did the doctors and nurses make sure you were as comfortable as possible?
What to say in a text: "Our doctors and nurses at Main Street Surgery Center want to ensure you are as comfortable as possible for your surgery. During your visit with us, do not hesitate to ask for anything that can help improve your comfort."
5. Did the doctors and nurses explain your procedure in a way that was easy to understand?
What to say in a text: "Prior to your procedure at Main Street Surgery Center, our doctors and nurses will explain your procedure in a way they hope will be easy for you to understand. If you have any questions about what they explain, ask! They will be happy to answer your questions."
6. Anesthesia is something that would make you feel sleepy or go to sleep during your procedure. Were you given anesthesia?
or Did your doctor or anyone from the facility explain the process of giving anesthesia in a way that was easy to understand?
What to say in a text: "Prior to your procedure at Main Street Surgery Center, you will be given anesthesia, which will make you go to sleep. Your anesthesia provider will explain the process of giving anesthesia in a way they hope will be easy for you to understand. If you have any questions about what they explain, ask! They will be happy to answer your questions."
Text messages sent following the procedure
7. Discharge instructions include things like symptoms you should watch for after your procedure, instructions about medicines, and home care. Before you left the facility, did you get written discharge instructions?
What to say in a text: "Following your procedure at Main Street Surgery Center, you were provided written discharge instructions. If you no longer have the discharge instructions you were provided, access them online at http://bit.ly/surgeryinfo. If you have any questions about discharge instructions, reply to this message or call 877-666-1132."
8. Some ways to control pain include prescription medicine, over-the-counter pain relievers or ice packs. Did your doctor or anyone from the facility give you information about what to do if you had pain as a result of your procedure?
What to say in a text: "We hope you are recovering well from your surgery. As a reminder, if you experience any pain, you can take Tylenol and carefully apply an ice pack to the surgical area. If you experience rising levels of pain or have questions about what to do about pain, reply to this message or call 877-666-1132."
9. Possible signs of infection include fever, swelling, heat, drainage or redness. Before you left the facility, did your doctor or anyone from the facility give you information about what to do if you had possible signs of infection?
What to say in a text: "Infections can sometimes occur after surgery. If you no longer have the information about possible signs of infections that you were provided following your procedure, you can also access the information online at http://bit.ly/surgeryinfo. If you have any questions or concerns about possible infection, reply to this message or call 877-666-1132."
10. Would you recommend this facility to your friends and family?
What to say in a text: "We hope you had a great experience at Main Street Surgery Center and will consider recommending us to your friends and family. If you have any feedback on what our doctors, nurses, and staff could have done to make your experience even better, reply to this message with your thoughts. We are always working to improve!"
Note:Â Ongoing reviews of OAS CAHPS performance can help an ASC know where it needs to better target efforts for improvement, which can be supported by carefully worded text messages.
Another Way to Use Texting to Improve OAS CAHPS Scores: Simple Patient Surveys
ASCs have typically conducted patient satisfaction surveys following procedures, but the OAS CAHPS mandate may motivate centers to debate whether to continue with their own surveys. The OAS CAHPS survey is lengthy (34 questions), so ASCs may choose to have the OAS CAHPS survey serve as their only patient satisfaction survey rather than burden patients with completing multiple, long surveys. While this may be a worthwhile transition, it would eliminate a mechanism for ASCs to secure valuable feedback from patients.
Two-way text messaging can help here as well. ASCs can send a survey text message to patients asking them to rate their experience on numbered scale. If patients respond with a low rating, a follow-up text can ask them to explain what they found disappointing and see if they would like to speak with an ASC representative about their experience. If patients respond with a high rating, a follow-up text can ask patients for any recommendations about what could have made their experience even better. The insights gathered through this simple, non-burdensome survey can help an ASC determine areas to target for improvement that may enhance the patient experience and OAS CAHPS scores in the process.
Prioritizing OAS CAHPS Scores
Given that they will be publicly reported, an OAS CAHPS score that paints an ASC in a negative light has the potential to wreak havoc. Consider these potential impacts:
Patients who are referred by their physicians to an ASC with a poor score may request referrals to a different facility.
For an ASC with a cash-pay program, patients may look to go to a center with a better score.
Surgeon owners who are displeased with their association with a poor score may look to make staffing changes.
Surgeon users (i.e., non-owners) performing procedures at the ASC may decide to take their procedures elsewhere.
Prospective surgeons researching their options for where to potentially perform procedures and/or become investors may find an ASC's weak score off-putting.
A low score may weigh heavily on staff, potentially contributing to reduced morale, decreased productivity, increased likelihood of burnout, and rising turnover — all of which can further harm the patient experience and depress the score.
Prospective staff may choose not to apply for or accept a job at an ASC with a poor score because it may suggest a bad working environment that's translating to a negative patient experience. Anesthesia providers may similarly question whether they want to deliver their services at an ASC with a low score.
Commercial payers may hesitate to contract with underperforming ASCs, particularly when payers have better-performing options in a market.
To achieve strong OAS CAHPS scores, ASCs will need to focus on what they are known for: delivering high-quality, highly personalized surgical care that leads to great outcomes. ASCs will also need to ensure they are effectively addressing the topics covered by the OAS CAHPS survey questions. With two-way text messaging, ASCs can better accomplish all of these goals and do so without adding significant administrative burden. Texting is also proven to help surgery centers in other key areas of performance, including reducing cancellations and no-shows, improving collections, and strengthening staff engagement.
To learn more about Dialog Health, the text messaging platform of choice for ASCs nationwide, schedule a demo, text or call (877) 666-1132, or email info@dialoghealth.com.
Comments