CMS recently announced the mandating of a new patient experience study to measure outpatient surgery or procedure care. The Information Transfer Patient‑Reported Outcome Performance Measure (PRO-PM) program seeks to assess patient perceptions of the information received before, during, and after their procedure along with recovery instructions upon discharge. The survey reflects the healthcare industry’s shift towards outcome-based quality measures, with the following article detailing what you need to know about this new evaluation.
1. What does the survey measure?
The Information Transfer PRO-PM study consists of nine questions across three domains: information taken into account about patient needs, information about medications during recovery, and information about daily activity limitations during recovery. CMS also allows for custom supplemental questions should an organization desire deeper insights. Patients base their responses on their perception of whether they received “clear, personalized recovery information” from their care team. View the full core question set here.
2. Is the survey mandatory?
Information Transfer PRO-PM will become mandatory by CMS for Hospital Outpatient Departments (HOPDs) beginning in CY2027 and Ambulatory Surgery Centers beginning in CY2029, exemptions given to Critical Access Hospitals. Voluntary administration has already begun for HOPDs in CY2026 and will launch for ASCs next year, with Care Compare publishing publicly reported data upon receiving a year of collected data.
3. What are the survey requirements?
Organizations or their survey vendors can administer the Information Transfer PRO-PM to any patient age 18 or over within 2–14 days following their procedure; survey recipients have up to 65 days after receiving the invitation to complete the survey. The survey can be administered through web-based methodologies and in the English & Spanish languages. Target completion for sampling is set at 300 annual completions, with reporting set at 100 annual completions at minimum.
4. What CMS resources are currently available?
At the time of publishing, CMS has not established any Quality Assurance Guidelines (QAG) or vendor training for the Information Transfer PRO-PM. Such resources may become available upon future data submissions and analysis by CMS.
5. How can PRC help?
PRC is a longtime CAHPS®-approved vendor by CMS and a pioneer in the healthcare research space. We’ve partnered with thousands of hospitals and health systems across the country, helping them improve their organizational experience across the continuum of care. We’re committed to supporting our client partners through expert e-survey administration for the Information Transfer PRO-PM, and, through our PRC EasyView® reporting platform, help establish data norms and uncover insights for continued improvement.
Contact us today to learn more about how PRC can support your organization’s Information Transfer PRO-PM needs.
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