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Increase Patient Participation in the PCF PEC Survey
Other AnnouncementsPosted March 29, 2024

By using the resources provided below and taking a few important steps, practices can increase patients' awareness of the PCF PEC Survey and subsequently increase participation.

Display PEC Survey Poster
Practices are asked to display at least one PCF PEC Survey poster in a highly visible area of their practice beginning March 1. The poster lists important PEC Survey information in 12 languages and has space to include the practice’s survey vendor’s contact information. Small and large versions of the poster are available on PCF Connect. (The small version can also be used as a handout.) Please note, no changes were made to the poster from last year.

Print and Distribute PEC Survey FAQs
Also starting March 1, practices should print and distribute the updated PY 2024 PEC Survey FAQs, available in both English and Spanish on PCF Connect. Space is available to include the practice’s survey vendor’s contact information.

Answer Patient Questions and Express Support for the PEC Survey
Practice staff should be aware of the PEC Survey so they can confidently reassure patients the survey is legitimate and confidential. Refer to this resource for important guidelines about communicating with patients about the survey.

The poster and FAQs are also available on the PEC Survey website at the links below:

PCF PEC Survey FAQs
PEC Survey Poster: Small and Large versions

Vendors should share their Help Desk telephone number and email address with their practice clients as soon as they are operational. Please also communicate to your client practices the importance of these resources and how they can help increase response rates and patient representation.

DUE TODAY: PY 2024 PCF PEC Survey Quality Assurance Plan Deadline for New Survey Vendors
Quality Assurance PlanPosted March 22, 2024

The deadline for new PCF PEC Survey Vendors to submit their PY 2024 Quality Assurance Plan is TODAY, March 22, 2024 by 7:59 PM ET.

Vendors must log-in to the PCF PEC Survey web portal to submit QAPs using the "Submit Quality Assurance Plan" page under the "Vendors" tab. Step-by-step instructions are available in a Quick Link on the website. The PCF PEC Survey Team will review QAPs. If further clarification is needed, the PEC Survey Team will work with the survey vendors to obtain the necessary information.

The vendor’s QAP should include the sections listed below. The requirements for these sections are detailed in the PCF PEC Survey Vendor Model QAP Outline.

Organization Background and Staff Experience
PCF PEC Survey Work Plan
PCF PEC Survey Implementation Plan
Data Security, Confidentiality, Privacy Plan, and Disaster Recovery Plan
Questionnaire and Materials Attachments

Please note: This outline has been updated for PY 2024; a table highlighting key updates can be found on page 2. Only QAPs that follow this outline will be considered for approval. The vendor’s approach to each section should be organized within the body of the QAP itself with any supporting information included in an appendix as needed. The use of embedded documents within the QAP is prohibited.

The QAP must be updated and submitted annually, and any time the vendor changes PCF PEC Survey personnel, capabilities, or systems used to administer the PCF PEC Survey. Remember that you must also update your online PCF PEC Survey Vendor Application Form if you have changed key personnel and/or subcontractors, and/or have changed your business name or location.

To ensure prompt review of your QAP, please follow the steps below:

Make sure your QAP follows the format shown in the Model QAP posted on the PCF PEC Survey website. Also, be sure to provide information for every topic included in the Model QAP. Only QAPs that follow this outline will be considered for approval.
Before submitting your QAP, check it carefully to make sure that it reflects all PCF PEC Survey protocols disseminated via announcements posted on the PCF PEC Survey website and/or described in the latest version of the Quality Assurance Guidelines.

The PCF PEC Survey Team will review and provide feedback to new survey vendors no later than April 5, 2024.

Vendors with questions should contact the PCF PEC Survey Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715.

DUE TODAY: PY 2024 PCF PEC Survey Quality Assurance Plan for Fully Approved Survey Vendors
Quality Assurance PlanPosted March 15, 2024

The deadline for fully approved PCF PEC Survey Vendors to submit their PY 2024 Quality Assurance Plan is TODAY, March 15, 2024 by 7:59 PM ET.

The vendor’s QAP should include the sections listed below. The requirements for these sections are detailed in the PCF PEC Survey Vendor Model QAP Outline.

Organization Background and Staff Experience
PCF PEC Survey Work Plan
PCF PEC Survey Implementation Plan
Data Security, Confidentiality, Privacy Plan, and Disaster Recovery Plan
Questionnaire and Materials Attachments

To ensure prompt review of your QAP, please follow the steps below:

Locate the version of your most recently approved QAP; that is, the version that was accepted by CMS and the PCF PEC Survey Team in PY 2023.
Make a copy of that version and accept all tracked changes, creating a clean copy of your QAP.
Make all PY 2024 updates to your clean copy using track changes, so that your document reflects only the changes made since your most recent approved QAP.
Make sure to include updates to your QAP if your organization has had changes in PCF PEC Survey personnel, capabilities, systems, and/or changes to protocols or procedures.
Make sure your QAP follows the format shown in the Model QAP posted on the PCF PEC Survey website. Also make sure that you provide information for every topic included in the Model QAP. Only QAPs that follow this outline will be considered for approval.
Before submitting your updated QAP, check it carefully to make sure that it reflects all PCF PEC Survey protocols disseminated via announcements posted on the PCF PEC Survey website and/or described in the latest version of the Quality Assurance Guidelines.

The PCF PEC Survey Team will review and provide feedback to fully approved vendors no later than March 29, 2024.

Vendors with questions should contact the PCF PEC Survey Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715.

PCF PEC Survey Vendor Authorization Window Opens 3/11
Other AnnouncementsPosted March 8, 2024

The Primary Care First (PCF) Patient Experience of Care (PEC) Survey vendor authorization window will be open to practice sites from March 11 – June 14, 2024. Note that the authorization window is two weeks shorter than it was last year.

If a practice is using the same survey vendor that administered their PY 2023 PEC Survey, they will not need to update the online vendor authorization form. However, a practice will need to submit an updated vendor authorization form on the PEC Survey website if either of the following apply:

A practice is participating in the PCF PEC Survey for the first time in PY 2024; or
A practice is switching to a different survey vendor to administer the PY 2024 PCF PEC Survey.

The current list of approved PCF vendors is available to practices on the PCF PEC Survey web portal and on PCF Connect. The final list for PY 2024 will be released in May. Note that practices may only authorize fully approved PCF PEC Survey Vendors.

Step-by-step instructions are available for practices on the PEC Survey website at the links below:

Please note: Authorizing a vendor on the PCF PEC Survey website is a separate step that practices must take AFTER entering a formal written contract and signing a Business Associate Agreement with an approved PCF PEC Survey vendor.

As a reminder, the PCF PEC Survey is a required component of the Quality Gateway that is annual assessment for all PCF practices as part of the performance-based adjustment (PBA). Please see the PCF PEC Survey Fact Sheet for more information about practice participation in the PEC Survey.

Practices will be reminded about the vendor authorization requirement and provided with the link to the vendor list several times over the coming months, including in the March 14th First Edition newsletter.

IMPORTANT: Please remember that vendors are required to confirm weekly review of the Survey Vendor Authorization Report, and note any discrepancies in writing, during the vendor authorization window. This review must be confirmed via email to the PEC Survey Team.

Please direct any practices with questions about this process to PCF Support via email at PCF@telligen.com, or by phone at 1-888-517-7753.

Vendors with questions should contact the PCF PEC Survey Team via email at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715.

Performance Year (PY) 2024 PCF PEC Survey Quality Assurance Plan Submission Deadlines and Requirements for Survey Vendors
Data SubmissionPosted March 5, 2024

The Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) serves as a guide for survey vendors as they develop and update their procedures and materials for implementing and complying with the Primary Care First (PCF) Patient Experience of Care (PEC) Survey Vendor Quality Assurance Guide.

The vendor’s QAP should include the sections listed below. The requirements for these sections are detailed in the PCF PEC Survey Vendor Model QAP Outline.

Organization Background and Staff Experience
Work Plan
Survey Implementation Plan
Data Security, Confidentiality, Privacy Plan, and Disaster Recovery Plan
Questionnaire and Materials Attachments

Vendors with questions should contact the PCF PEC Survey Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715. 

Fully Approved Survey Vendors

All fully approved survey vendors for the PCF PEC Survey must submit a QAP by 7:59 PM ET March 15, 2024.

To ensure prompt review of your QAP, please follow the steps below:

Locate the version of your most recently approved QAP; that is, the version that was accepted by CMS and the PCF PEC Survey Team in PY 2023.
Make a copy of that version and accept all tracked changes, creating a clean copy of your QAP.
Make all PY 2024 updates to your clean copy using track changes, so that your document reflects only the changes made since your most recent approved QAP.
Make sure to include updates to your QAP if your organization has had changes in PCF PEC Survey personnel, capabilities, systems, and/or changes to protocols or procedures.
Make sure your QAP follows the format shown in the Model QAP posted on the PCF PEC Survey website. Also make sure that you provide information for every topic included in the Model QAP. Only QAPs that follow this outline will be considered for approval.
Before submitting your updated QAP, check it carefully to make sure that it reflects all PCF PEC Survey protocols disseminated via announcements posted on the PCF PEC Survey website and/or described in the latest version of the Quality Assurance Guidelines.

The PCF PEC Survey Team will review and provide feedback to fully approved vendors no later than March 29, 2024.

New Survey Vendors

All new survey vendors for the PCF PEC Survey must submit a QAP by 7:59 PM ET on March 22, 2024.   

To ensure prompt review of your QAP, please follow the steps below: 

Make sure your QAP follows the format shown in the Model QAP posted on the PCF PEC Survey website. Also, be sure to provide information for every topic included in the Model QAP. Only QAPs that follow this outline will be considered for approval.
Before submitting your QAP, check it carefully to make sure that it reflects all PCF PEC Survey protocols disseminated via announcements posted on the PCF PEC Survey website and/or described in the latest version of the Quality Assurance Guidelines.

The PCF PEC Survey Team will review and provide feedback to new survey vendors no later than April 5, 2024.

Performance Year (PY) 2024 PCF PEC Survey Quality Assurance Plan Submission Deadlines and Requirements for Survey Vendors
Quality Assurance PlanPosted February 23, 2024

The vendor’s QAP should include the sections listed below. The requirements for these sections are detailed in the PCF PEC Survey Vendor Model QAP Outline.

Organization Background and Staff Experience
Work Plan
Survey Implementation Plan
Data Security, Confidentiality, Privacy Plan, and Disaster Recovery Plan
Questionnaire and Materials Attachments

Vendors with questions should contact the PCF PEC Survey Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715. 

Fully Approved Survey Vendors

All fully approved survey vendors for the PCF PEC Survey must submit a QAP by 7:59 PM ET March 15, 2024.

To ensure prompt review of your QAP, please follow the steps below:

Locate the version of your most recently approved QAP; that is, the version that was accepted by CMS and the PCF PEC Survey Team in PY 2023.
Make a copy of that version and accept all tracked changes, creating a clean copy of your QAP.
Make all PY 2024 updates to your clean copy using track changes, so that your document reflects only the changes made since your most recent approved QAP.
Make sure to include updates to your QAP if your organization has had changes in PCF PEC Survey personnel, capabilities, systems, and/or changes to protocols or procedures.
Make sure your QAP follows the format shown in the Model QAP posted on the PCF PEC Survey website. Also make sure that you provide information for every topic included in the Model QAP. Only QAPs that follow this outline will be considered for approval.
Before submitting your updated QAP, check it carefully to make sure that it reflects all PCF PEC Survey protocols disseminated via announcements posted on the PCF PEC Survey website and/or described in the latest version of the Quality Assurance Guidelines.

The PCF PEC Survey Team will review and provide feedback to fully approved vendors no later than March 29, 2024.

New Survey Vendors

All new survey vendors for the PCF PEC Survey must submit a QAP by 7:59 PM ET on March 22, 2024.   

To ensure prompt review of your QAP, please follow the steps below: 

Make sure your QAP follows the format shown in the Model QAP posted on the PCF PEC Survey website. Also, be sure to provide information for every topic included in the Model QAP. Only QAPs that follow this outline will be considered for approval.
Before submitting your QAP, check it carefully to make sure that it reflects all PCF PEC Survey protocols disseminated via announcements posted on the PCF PEC Survey website and/or described in the latest version of the Quality Assurance Guidelines.

The PCF PEC Survey Team will review and provide feedback to new survey vendors no later than April 5, 2024.

PCF PEC Survey PY 2024 Vendor Training Dates and Registration
Training InformationPosted February 21, 2024

New Survey Vendor Applicants & New Staff of Fully Approved Survey Vendors:

The Introduction to the PCF PEC Survey webinar training has been updated for Performance Year (PY) 2024. This self-paced webinar has valuable information that should be used by all vendors as a resource throughout the year. As a reminder, any of the following key staff from vendor and subcontractor organizations that are new to the PCF PEC Survey must attend the Introduction to the PCF PEC Survey training, per the Minimum Business Requirements:

Project Manager
Mail Center Supervisor
Call Center Supervisor
Project Staff Member(s) responsible for the following
functions:
‒ Decrypting the sample file and performing sample file quality checks
‒ Programming the CATI script
‒ Preparing and submitting the survey data file

Per Quality Assurance Guidelines 3.3.4, the survey vendor must ensure that all survey vendor staff and any subcontractors who work on a substantial component of the PCF PEC Survey are trained and follow the standard PCF PEC Survey protocols and guidelines. For any new subcontractors, the survey vendor must alert the subcontractor’s lead PCF PEC Survey staff member that they are also required to complete the on-demand Introduction to the PCF PEC Survey training. This includes subcontractors involved in:

telephone survey data collection (i.e., if an approved vendor is subcontracting telephone data collection activities),
survey mailout,
mail or questionnaire receipt and processing, and
construction or submission of XML data files.

If the subcontractor is already working with another approved PCF Survey vendor, they are not required to complete this training more than once.

The vendor’s designated Survey Administrator is also required to complete a Training Certification form after completing the on-demand Introduction to the PCF PEC Survey training. This certification must be completed by 5:00 PM on March 8, 2024. Survey Administrators who have already completed the training and the certification in a past PY do not need to complete this step again. However, if a PCF Survey Vendor has updated their Survey Administrator for PY 2024, the new Survey Administrator is required to complete the Training Certification.

This is a self-paced webinar, but registration is still required for each participant. Each staff member must register separately using their own unique organization email address and name. The training registration form is available on the PCF PEC Survey website under the “Training” tab. Survey Vendor staff or subcontractor staff without a username and password for the website should select either “Survey Vendor Subcontractor” or “Other” in order to register without logging into the website. (Note: If registering under the “Other” category, please type the name of relevant vendor organization in the specify box.)

The PCF PEC Survey team is required to keep an accurate training attendee list by CMS. Please register all staff who plan to take the Introduction to the PCF PEC Survey webinar training by 12:00 PM ET on Monday, March 4th, 2024.

The on-demand training webinar will be available to registered participants beginning 8:00 AM ET on March 4, 2024.

The YouTube links and training slides will be available on the PCF PEC Survey website as resources for vendors throughout the year.

Returning Staff of Fully Approved Survey Vendors:

Returning staff of survey vendors are required to attend the live PY 2024 PCF PEC Survey Vendor Update webinar training session on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, from 1:00 – 3:00 PM ET. Registration for the live PCF PEC Survey Vendor Update webinar training session is now available here.

The survey vendor’s designated PCF PEC Survey Administrator must attend the entire session. Although not required, we strongly encourage each vendor to have all key PCF PEC Survey staff attend this training session. If multiple people from an organization plan to attend the training session, each person must register separately using their own unique organization email address and name. Please register all staff who plan to attend the live PCF PEC Survey Vendor Update webinar training session by 12:00 PM ET on March 4, 2024.

For all vendors who are using a subcontractor who will be conducting one or more of the following activities on the PCF PEC Survey, the vendor must alert the subcontractor’s lead PCF PEC Survey staff member that they are required to register for and attend the live PCF PEC Survey Vendor Update webinar training session:

telephone survey data collection
survey mailout
mail or questionnaire receipt and processing
construction or submission of XML data files

There is no required certification for the live PCF PEC Survey Vendor Update webinar training. The training slides will be available on the PCF PEC Survey website as resources for vendors throughout the year.

If you have any questions, please contact the PCF PECS Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715.

PCF PEC Survey PY 2024 Vendor Training Dates and Registration
Training InformationPosted February 15, 2024

New Survey Vendor Applicants & New Staff of Fully Approved Survey Vendors:

Project Manager
Mail Center Supervisor
Call Center Supervisor
Project Staff Member(s) responsible for the following
functions:
‒ Decrypting the sample file and performing sample file quality checks
‒ Programming the CATI script
‒ Preparing and submitting the survey data file

telephone survey data collection (i.e., if an approved vendor is subcontracting telephone data collection activities),
survey mailout,
mail or questionnaire receipt and processing, and
construction or submission of XML data files.

If the subcontractor is already working with another approved PCF Survey vendor, they are not required to complete this training more than once.

The on-demand training webinar will be available to registered participants beginning 8:00 AM ET on March 4, 2024.

The YouTube links and training slides will be available on the PCF PEC Survey website as resources for vendors throughout the year.

Returning Staff of Fully Approved Survey Vendors:

telephone survey data collection
survey mailout
mail or questionnaire receipt and processing
construction or submission of XML data files

If you have any questions, please contact the PCF PECS Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715.

Due TODAY: PY 2023 PCF PEC Survey Interviewer Monitoring Documentation
Survey MaterialsPosted January 31, 2024

The deadline for submitting interviewer monitoring documentation is today, January 31, 2024, at 7:59pm Eastern. Please see this quick link for instructions on how to submit your documentation via the PCF PEC Survey website.

Survey vendors must randomly monitor a minimum of 10 percent of all interviewer-conducted calls (including completes and non-completes). Vendors should submit documentation confirming they have met the 10 percent monitoring requirement over the course of the PCF PEC Survey data collection. To reduce the reporting burden, we recommend that vendors submit only one of the following items as their monitoring documentation:

Individual monitoring sheets documenting monitoring throughout the field period.
- Interviewers may be identified via name or ID number.
- Scored monitoring sheets developed by the vendor; or
- Monitoring forms as supplied on the PEC Survey website.
Monitoring logs
- Logs should include a list of interviewers monitored each week with a monitoring score.
- The monitoring log can be electronic (e.g., MS Excel) or a scanned version of a handwritten log kept by the vendor.

Other system-generated reports from the vendor that provide documentation of their monitoring activities with an indication of percent of calls monitored.

At a minimum, the documentation that a vendor submits must include:

the date of the monitoring session,
the monitor’s name or ID number,
the number of calls monitored per session,
and the total number of calls conducted by a live interviewer.

Please see section 5.6.9 of the Quality Assurance Guidelines for more information on interviewer monitoring documentation requirements.

Upon receipt of each vendor’s documentation, the PCF PEC Survey team will review the documentation to determine if it meets the monitoring requirements for the PCF PEC Survey. We will provide feedback to each vendor regarding their monitoring process and changes needed to their process or QAP. If necessary, a Corrective Action Plan will be put in place to address any deficiencies in the vendor’s monitoring process.

Vendors with questions should contact the PCF PEC Survey Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715.

PCF PECS Semiannual Newsletter – January 2024
PECS NewsletterPosted January 29, 2024

The Primary Care First (PCF) Patient Experience of Care (PEC) Survey Team has published the January 2024 edition of the PCF PEC Survey Semiannual Newsletter. As a reminder, this newsletter is a way to provide survey vendors with helpful PCF PEC Survey information.

The newsletter is posted on the PCF PEC Survey website and updated every January and July. You can navigate to the January 2024 newsletter located under the General Information tab on the PCF PEC Survey website.

The newsletter does not replace any source of information currently on the PCF PEC Survey website; instead, it highlights important information for readers. We encourage you to visit the PCF PEC Survey website for more information on the items mentioned in this newsletter. Please continue to monitor the PCF PEC Survey website for updates and announcements.

Vendors with questions should contact the PCF PEC Survey Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715.

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