One of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) newest studies for measuring patient experience, the Psychiatric Inpatient Experience (PIX) Survey explores the care experience specific to inpatient psychiatric facilities (IPF) as part of the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Quality Reporting (IPFQR) Program. As the anonymous survey becomes mandatory for IPFs in CY2026, take a moment to review the basics of this survey and, if you work at an IPF, ensure your organization has selected a vendor to collect these insights.
What does the survey measure?
The PIX survey measures patient experience in the psychiatric and behavioral health setting, providing a standardized instrument for the IPFQR Program. The survey consists of 23 questions spanning the following dimensions:
- Treatment Team Relationships
- Nursing Team Presence
- Environment
- Treatment Effectiveness
Download the full question set here.
Is the survey mandatory to complete?
CMS has mandated IPFs to complete PIX surveys starting in CY2026. Reporting data will be collected from January 1–December 31, 2026, with the data submission period commencing July 1–August 15 of the following year. Some organizations have already begun conducting the survey as part of an optional CY 2025 reporting period to pilot the survey.
Why is the survey mandatory to complete?
The PIX survey provides an outlet for the IPFQR Program to gather direct patient feedback, helping accomplish CMS’ goal of capturing the voice of the patient following requests for a behavioral health-specific patient experience measure. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 also mandates the inclusion of a patient experience measure for the IPFQR program, so the PIX survey designation as IPFQR’s standardized survey instrument ensures consistency across IPF data collection and benchmarking; other patient experience surveys used by IPFs cannot be submitted as a substitute for PIX surveys.
Who conducts and receives the survey?
As previously mentioned, CMS mandates all IPFs to conduct the survey beginning in CY2026. This includes any organization—both standalone psychiatric facilities and psychiatric units within organizations—who receives reimbursement for their services as part of the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS). All patients above the age of 13 are eligible to take survey anonymously starting a day prior to discharge.
What are the accepted methodologies for the survey?
PIX surveys can be administered either electronically (via tablet or computer) or through paper surveys. For the latter, the survey is given to patients prior to discharge with a self-addressed envelope to mail back upon completion. Patients must be able to receive assistance during survey completion. Data from PIX surveys will be publicly reported through Care Compare on Medicare.gov, with PRC clients also able to access their data through PRCEasyView.com®.
What are the submission guidelines for PIX surveys?
IPFs or CMS-approved survey vendors can submit survey data through CMS’ Hospital Quality Reporting (HQR) System—see the graphic above for the upcoming data submission periods. Sampling for PIX surveys must consist of 300 completions per year, with exceptions given to select organizations given their patient population size or characteristics. Scores are reported on Care Compare for the four domains of the survey plus an overall score. If patients complete some, but not all, the score for each question will be reported, but a domain or overall score will not be calculated.
How can PRC help?
PRC has worked with thousands of organizations across the country to administer CMS’ line of Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHP®) surveys since their inception. With decades of expertise in healthcare market research, we utilize proven data collection methodologies to capture an accurate representation of how they perceive the care they received. Through these data points, your organization can go beyond simply complying with new CMS guidelines to truly understand patient perceptions and lay the groundwork for improvements towards a greater healthcare experience for everyone.
Fill out our form to connect with a PRC expert about launching PIX surveys in your organization.
Sources and Further Reading:
CMS – Inpatient Psychiatric Facility PPS
CMS QualityNet – PIX Survey Questions
