Use AHRQ’s HCAHPS Supplemental Items to Address Health Literacy and Interpreter Services

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) released a list of supplemental items for the adult version of the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Hospital Survey (HCAHPS). The 39-item list is divided into two topics: health literacy and interpreter services. The health literacy topic is further divided into six subtopics: information about medications, communication between nurses and patients, communication between doctors and patients, communication about tests, communication about forms, and information about how to care for oneself at home. The 10 items regarding interpretation services address issues such as whether an interpreter is needed and interpreter availability.