Boosting HHCAHPS Scores: How Home Health Agencies Can Excel in Value-Based Purchasing

As Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) continues to reshape the industry, one element is emerging as both a challenge and an opportunity: the HHCAHPS survey.

HHCAHPS—short for Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems—is a publicly reported, standardized survey that measures patient and family experience with home health services.

In the expanded HHVBP model, these patient satisfaction scores directly impact your Total Performance Score (TPS), making them just as important as clinical outcomes and hospital readmission rates.

Why HHCAHPS Scores Matter in HHVBP

The HHCAHPS component evaluates patient feedback on key aspects of care, such as:

🗣 Communication between staff and patient

⏱ Timeliness of care and service delivery

💊 Medication instruction and education

🌟 Overall satisfaction with the agency

In HHVBP, agencies are scored based on both achievement (how well you compare to others) and improvement (how much you’ve improved from your baseline). This means even if you're not at the top yet, positive progress can still earn you Medicare payment increases.

Common Reasons Agencies Score Low on HHCAHPS

Even high-performing clinical teams can struggle with patient satisfaction scores. Some common factors include:

❌ Poor communication or rushed visits

❌ Inconsistent follow-up or scheduling gaps

❌ Failure to educate patients on their medications or conditions

❌ Not involving patients or caregivers in care planning

The good news? These issues are fixable with the right systems, training, and accountability in place.

How to Improve HHCAHPS Scores (and Your HHVBP Standing)

✅ 1. Create a Culture of Patient-Centered Care

Consulting teams can help realign your agency culture to emphasize every patient touchpoint—from intake to discharge—as a moment to build trust and satisfaction.

✅ 2. Train Staff on Communication & Bedside Manner

Simple language, empathy, eye contact, and active listening make a measurable difference in how patients rate their experience. Make this part of your onboarding and ongoing training.

✅ 3. Use Surveys as Coaching Tools, Not Just Scores

Analyze your HHCAHPS reports regularly and treat them as a guide for continuous improvement. Identify trends in feedback, then turn them into actionable training moments.

✅ 4. Standardize Processes That Patients Notice

Examples:

📝 Scripted introductions for visits

📆 Clear visit schedules shared in writing

📞 Follow-up calls post-discharge

💊 Medication teaching with printed handouts

Consistency leads to predictability—and that leads to higher satisfaction.

✅ 5. Engage Consulting Support to Build a HHCAHPS Strategy

Expert consultants can:✔ Help you interpret your HHCAHPS scores✔ Conduct mock patient satisfaction audits✔ Design staff improvement plans✔ Align your QAPI program with HHCAHPS metrics

Conclusion

In the world of Home Health Value-Based Purchasing, your patients’ voices matter more than ever. Improving HHCAHPS scores isn’t just good practice—it’s a strategic advantage.

By focusing on communication, consistency, and care coordination, your agency can increase patient satisfaction, improve public performance scores, and unlock better Medicare reimbursements.

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💡 Need help improving your HHCAHPS performance? Learn how our home health consulting team can support your agency in building a patient experience strategy that boosts satisfaction—and your bottom line.