When CMS introduced web mode for the CAHPS Hospice Survey, the aim was simple: give caregivers an easier way to respond, and get more of them to reply. Initial indicators from SHP web-mail mode adopters tell us that this new program has had exactly that effect.

Why we added a second option

Mail has been the backbone of CAHPS Hospice data collection since the survey began, and it still is. But every mode asks something different of the respondent, and for many caregivers, completing a survey online fits their day better than filling out a paper form and mailing it back. Web mode gives caregivers that choice without taking away the mail option they may prefer. We expected the added choice to help participation. We did not expect it to help this much, this fast.

What we found

Comparing initial web-mail mode results against a mail-only baseline, three findings stand out:

• Caregivers who received an email invitation returned surveys at 47.4%. Among providers still relying on mail alone, the rate was 30.2%.
• The web-mail mode adopters already had better than average return rates before launch, so part of the gap is a head start rather than the mode itself. Measured against their own history, those providers still gained close to 12 percentage points after adding web mode — the lift we can fairly credit to the change.
• Of caregivers who completed a survey after an email invitation, about two in three did so online. Given the option, caregivers prefer the digital path.

Why return rates matter so much

Every hospice relies on CAHPS Hospice results to understand how caregivers experience their care, and that data is only as good as the number of caregivers who respond. Low return rates mean smaller samples and results that may not reflect the full population of caregivers served. Getting more caregivers to respond is not just an operational win. It is what makes the feedback trustworthy enough to act on.

Web mode helps on three fronts:

• It reaches caregivers where they already are. Email is fast and familiar. There is no envelope to find, no stamp to locate, no trip to a mailbox.
• It shortens the time between invitation and completion. A caregiver can respond as soon as the invitation arrives, with no separate step to mail anything back.
• It reinforces rather than replaces mail. Caregivers who do not respond online still receive the traditional mail follow-up, so no one is left out for lacking an email address on file or for not responding via email.

Not every provider sees the same lift

Results vary meaningfully across organizations. Some are seeing return rates above 70% among emailed caregivers; others see far smaller gains. The pattern points to something actionable: capture matters as much as the platform. Simply having an email address on file is not enough. Providers that pair web mode with strong intake practices and clear communication about the survey tend to see the biggest gains.

Response quality

Survey scores for web-survey respondents were very comparable to mail survey respondents, and were even slightly higher for some quality measures. It is still early, but the initial signal is a good one. We will keep sharing results as more data comes in.

What this means going forward

These initial indicators point to a strong start rather than a final verdict, but the direction is clear: when caregivers are given an easy digital option, they use it, and they respond at meaningfully higher rates than mail alone. As more hospices adopt web-mail mode and refine how they introduce it to caregivers, we expect return rates to climb further, giving the industry a fuller and more reliable view of the caregiver experience.