Virtual Site Visits for All ACO REACH CAHPS Vendors with Active PY 2024 ACOs
folder_openOther Announcementscalendar_todayPosted September 4, 2024
Virtual site visits for all ACO REACH CAHPS Survey vendors with active PY 2024 REACH ACOs will be conducted to ensure compliance with all ACO REACH CAHPS requirements. The ACO REACH CAHPS team will email vendors information about the proposed date, any area(s) of concern, and specific vendor personnel who should be in attendance. The ACO REACH CAHPS Survey Coordination Team and the vendor will schedule the site visit at a mutually agreeable time. Once it is scheduled, CMS staff may elect to attend the site visit.
Generally, the ACO REACH CAHPS virtual site visit team will consist of two to four individuals. The visit will be conducted through the HIPAA-compliant Zoom videoconferencing tool. Video conference calls will be scheduled over 2 days. Overall, the site visit will incorporate approximately 8 hours of meetings. If a subcontractor is used in a substantial role, the subcontractor will be invited to the site visit as well.
Approximately two weeks prior to the virtual site visit, the ACO REACH CAHPS team will send a Site Visit Agenda specifying the documents or other resources the vendor is expected to present during the video conference calls. This communication will also specify the materials the vendor is expected to prepare for submission to RTI prior to the site visit. Examples of such documents/resources/materials may include but are not limited to:
- a video “walk through” of the physical area used for interviewing, mailing, or data processing
- a document “step through” of the systems and processes used from the point of receiving the sample file to preparation of a final data file
- software/programs used in downloading and storing the sample file
- Scanned hardcopy mail questionnaires
- CATI records and/or digital recordings of telephone surveys
- review of telephone interviewing monitoring logs
- walkthrough of methods used for tracking contacts made and status codes
- documentation and observation related to SPAM flagging
- a review of documentation of the above steps
- interviews with the survey vendor’s key ACO REACH CAHPS project staff, including the Project Manager and Data Manager
- a discussion about the Help Desk voicemail and email
- walkthrough of the systems in place to protect the confidentiality of electronic data received from ACO REACH CAHPS Survey team and survey data received from beneficiaries
- Closing conference review, where RTI will share a summary of the site visit findings, including deficiencies and problems observed, and collect questions/concerns from the vendor to share with CMS
To streamline the site visit call, vendors are encouraged to give a presentation that describes their survey processes, focusing on changes made since the PY 2023 site visit. One week prior to the virtual site visit, the ACO REACH CAHPS team will host a brief pre-site visit meeting to review the agenda, answer any questions that the vendor might have about the site visit, and to test the screensharing features in Zoom.
Both the ACO REACH CAHPS site visit team and the survey vendor staff will sign a Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA). The CDA states that all staff must maintain confidence or restrict the disclosure of all proprietary information, personally identifiable information (PII), or protected health information (PHI) received or observed during the site visit.
After each site visit, the ACO REACH CAHPS team will prepare and submit to CMS a Site Visit Report, which will summarize the findings from each site visit, including any deficiencies and problems observed and remaining. The Site Visit Report will also describe corrective actions that the survey vendor will be required to take to correct deficiencies or problems, if any were noted. The ACO REACH CAHPS Site Visit team will provide the survey vendor with the Site Visit Report after it has been reviewed with CMS project staff.
Vendors with questions should contact the ACO REACH CAHPS team via e-mail at acoreachcahps@rti.org or call 1-833-870-0486