Working with Practice Clients to Support the PEC Survey
folder_openPractice Requirementscalendar_todayPosted August 16, 2024

CMS has asked all PCF practices for their help to increase PEC Survey response rates. The email sent to practices on August 6 encourages practices to take the following steps to promote patient awareness of the survey this fall:

1. Send a Patient Portal Message in September using the language provided by CMS
2. Display the PCF PEC Survey Poster (available in small and large sizes)
3. Distribute PCF PEC Survey Patient FAQs (newly updated with official HHS letterhead)
4. Answer Patient Questions and Express Support for the Survey (referring to this resource for important guidelines about communicating with patients)

We recommend that you follow up and encourage your practice clients to take these important steps.

CMS also asks that PEC Survey vendors work closely with their practice clients to ensure the success of the PEC Survey. We share some ideas here, but if you have had other successful ideas, we welcome suggestions.

• Ensure your practice clients have your Help Desk contact information. Share your Help Desk email address and toll-free number with practice clients and ask them to use the information to customize the poster and patient FAQs. Both the small poster and the FAQs can be distributed as handouts.

Please also explain to your client practices:

Why is it important to display the poster and FAQs? How can they help increase response rates and representation?

Displaying the poster and FAQs during the time when patients have eligible office visits (April through December) will increase recognition when surveys arrive at their homes. Patients will recall seeing the poster and receiving or reading the FAQs and know that the survey is legitimate. They are then more likely to participate.

• Send your practice clients an example of your survey mailing envelope. Show your practice clients what the survey mailing envelopes look like so that they can share that information with their patients. Tell them that the survey will be mailed using Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) letterhead, so that patients won't mistake it for junk mail. Recognition of the survey mail materials could increase patient participation in the mail survey. Just remember, practices may not provide copies of the questionnaire or survey materials to patients.
• Let practices know what phone number their patients will be receiving PEC Survey calls from. Recognition of the phone number could increase the likelihood that patients will answer the survey phone follow up calls and participate in the survey.

• Communicate with your practice clients throughout the data collection period and afterwards. Your practice clients should be aware of the data collection schedule (when patients should expect to receive mail surveys or phone calls), when to expect to receive results from your organization, and how to interpret those results once received.

Make sure to review the July 2024 Vendor Newsletter for other important steps that vendors should take this fall. CMS thanks you for your efforts to support the PEC Survey! Vendors with questions or suggestions should contact the PCF PECS Team via e-mail at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715.