ESRD-CAHPS Field Test

Beverly Weidmer, M.A.

RAND Corporation

CAHPS RAND Team

Purpose

• To assess how well the instruments are working among in-center hemodialysis patients in a variety of dialysis centers

• To assess different modes of survey administration

Overview

• ~15-20 facilities• Sample=2140 patients• Surveys to be completed by telephone only

or mixed mode (mail with phone follow-up)• Expect 1200 completes (900 English, 300

Spanish)• Data collection will take place in May-June

2004• RAND will collect data

Data Collection Overview

• Will test 2 data collection modes (telephone only and mail with phone follow-up)

• 600 interviews will be completed by mode

• Telephone interviews will be conducted using computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI)

• Interviews will take approximately 30 minutes

• Respondents will be given specific instructions in cover letter about getting assistance from family and friends

Data Collection Modes (1)

• Telephone only

– Advance notification letter– Telephone Interview– Reminder Letter – 800 number available– Up to 10 attempts

Data Collection Modes (2)

• Mail with Phone Follow-Up

– Mail survey with cover letter– Reminder Letter– 2nd mail out of survey– Telephone follow-up– 800 number available– Up to 10 attempts

Follow-Up Interview

• Conducted with 200 respondents from each data collection mode

• Attempt to determine and compare the kind of help received in completing the survey

• Interviews will take approximately 10 minutes

Criteria For Selecting Facilities• Different regions (NW/SW/NE/SE)• Rural, urban and suburban facilities• Small, medium and large facilities• Dialysis organization facilities and

independent facilities• Facilities that have fielded own surveys and

facilities that have not• Facilities that meet racial/ethnic sampling

targets

Criteria For Selecting Patients

• Currently dialyzing• In-center hemodialysis patients• At least 3 months experience with in-center

hemodialysis at current facility

How will patient sample be drawn?

• Electronic patient lists will be submitted to the CAHPS team

• CAHPS team will randomly select sample of patients

• For small facilities, all patients will be included in survey

• CAHPS team will randomize patients to data collection mode

Analysis

• Psychometric analysis to assess how well individual survey items are performing

• Compare Spanish to English to assess whether Spanish version of instrument is performing like the English version

• Assess effectiveness of data collection modes

• Assess factors that may have affected variation in response rates across facilities

How will field test results be used?

• Revise instruments • Improve translation• Make recommendations for data collection

approach that should be used• Make recommendations for improving response

rates• Make recommendations for how data can be

used

Interested in participating?

• If your organization is interested in participating in the field test, please contact:

Beverly Weidmer

RAND Corporation

(310) 393-0411, ext. 6788

(310) 451-6921

Beverly_Weidmer@rand.org