The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Outpatient and Ambulatory Surgery Survey is a national survey that collects information about the adult patient’s experience in hospital outpatient surgery departments and ambulatory surgery centers. This survey covers, at a minimum, the check-in process, facility, communication with administrative staff and clinical providers, attention to comfort, pain control, and the provision of both pre- and post-procedure information (Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services [CMS], 2015).
Starting in 2016, the CMS plans to launch this initial, voluntary survey (OAS-CAHPS). According to the industry consulting firm, Press Ganey, in the future, as with other CAHPS, CMS may require facilities to conduct the survey as part of the Outpatient Quality Reporting Program or the Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting Program (Press Ganey Resources, 2015).