PCF PEC Survey – Proxy Protocol
folder_openOther Announcementscalendar_todayPosted September 29, 2022

As described in Section 5.4 of the Quality Assurance Guidelines, the use of proxies is permitted for the PCF Patient Experience of Care (PEC) Survey. The survey instrument allows patients who are unable to complete the survey to have someone take the survey on their behalf (known as a “proxy”) or help the patient with completing the survey on their own (known as a “helper”). Helpers and proxies typically help patients who are too ill to take the survey, who have physical or cognitive limitations, or who have language barriers. A proxy should be someone like a family member or friend who is familiar with the patient’s care. Note that staff or clinicians at the practice site may not serve as proxies or helpers. 

As shown on the final question of the survey, proxies and helpers can: 

• Read questions. 
• Write down the answer the patient gave. 
• Answer the questions for the patient. 
• Translate the questions into the patient’s language (including over the phone).
• Help in other ways. 

Proxies may NOT be used if the patient is: 

• Deceased. 
• Under 18 years old. 
• Unavailable/out of the country. 
• Institutionalized (nursing home/jail/prison). 
• Refusal. 

Mail Materials 

To raise awareness of the proxy/helper option, all PCF PEC Survey letters, postcards, the poster, and Frequently Asked Questions clearly state that someone can help the patient take the survey: “If needed, someone like a family member or friend can help you by recording your answers, reading the survey to you, or translating it into your language. However, if you cannot respond because of poor health or cognitive or physical limitations, someone like a family member or friend knowledgeable about your care can take the survey on your behalf.”

This statement is translated into 10 different languages on the survey poster, which practices display in their waiting rooms. 

The Residential Care Facility envelope is designed to draw the attention of potential proxies with this statement on the outside of the envelope: “Please ensure the resident or their loved one sees this survey about visits to their primary care provider.” 

Help Desk and Telephone Interviews 

Survey vendors must ensure that telephone interviewers and Help Desk staff stay attuned to people declining survey participation because of the patient’s health, disability, or language. These barriers can be overcome with a proxy or a helper, which should be encouraged and facilitated by survey vendor personnel.

The CATI scripts include language for proxy interviews. Please ensure that telephone interviewers follow the script as written to correctly select a proxy respondent and administer a proxy interview. 

For situations where the respondent is mentally or physically incapable, including those who are hearing impaired with no TTY service and a proxy is not available, vendors should code the case as 180- Ineligible: Mentally or Physically Incapacitated. For cases where the respondent speaks a language other than English or Spanish and a proxy is not available, vendors should code the case as 170- Language Barrier. 

Thank you for your attention to these important efforts to increase patient participation in the PCF PEC Survey. Vendors with questions should contact the PCF PECS Team via email at pcfpecs@rti.org or call 1-833-997-2715.