We are an award-winning leader dedicated to improving the experiences of healthcare consumers and patients.
CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF SERVICES (CSS) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) founded in 1974.
Our organization has decades of experience in healthcare surveys, research, analysis, and reporting. We work with research organizations, Federal agencies, health plans, healthcare providers, and State insurance exchanges to measure, report, and improve the experiences of healthcare consumers and patients.
We've been working with research organizations, federal agencies, health plans, healthcare providers, and state insurance exchanges for over 40 years.
1974
Robert Krughoff founded the Center for the Study of Services (CSS) as a nonprofit organization, dedicated to evaluating consumer service providers and reporting comparative information on these service providers.
1976
Consumers' CHECKBOOK magazine launched in the Washington, DC area. Still in circulation today, this publication offers advice on obtaining services and objectively rates service providers and is supported entirely by individual consumers. CHECKBOOK has since expanded to six other major metropolitan areas (Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Twin Cities, Seattle-Tacoma, and San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose), with roughly 130,000 subscribers and no advertising.
1994
CSS developed and implemented the first nationwide survey of health plan members for public reporting, surveying 150,000 members of 265 health plans participating in the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program. CSS designed the survey, drew the sample, fielded the survey, and analyzed the data. Since 2000, CSS has been responsible for analyzing all of the HEDIS/CAHPS data for the FEHB program for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). A few years later, building on CSS's expertise in survey administration, quality/performance measurement, and reporting, CSS launched the Healthcare Research Group. As an advisor, research and analysis expert, consultant, and survey vendor, CSS's Healthcare Research Group currently works with government clients, managed care organizations, medical groups, hospitals, and regional health care collaboratives.
1999
NCQA began certifying survey vendors to conduct the HEDIS/CAHPS survey, which they adapted from the CAHPS survey developed by AHRQ. CSS was among the first vendors certified and continues to conduct HEDIS CAHPS surveys for hundreds of health plans every year. In the interim, CSS expanded the quality measurement services provided to health plans to include surveys of physicians.
2002
Massachusetts Health Quality Partners (MHQP) chose CSS to administer its Patient Experience Survey, and CSS has administered similar surveys for MHQP periodically ever since, with results publicly reported on the MHQP website and through other outlets.
2005
The Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) selected CSS to administer its state-wide Patient Assessment Survey, and CSS has administered similar surveys for PBGH annually, with results publicly reported on the website of the California Office of the Patient Advocate and through other outlets.
2006
Our CAHPS portfolio increased to include Medicare CAHPS surveys for all Medicare beneficiaries in traditional Medicare as well as Medicare Advantage. CSS was also engaged to field test the Part D CAHPS survey about Prescription Drug Plans.
2011
CMS required Medicare Advantage and Prescription Drug Plans to contract with an approved vendor to conduct CAHPS surveys on their own and report results to CMS. CSS was among the first vendors approved by Medicare to conduct MA PDP CAHPS.
2012
CSS was approved to conduct Medicare Health Outcomes Surveys, which allowed CSS to better serve Medicare Advantage clients.
2012 - 2015
CSS earned many additional CAHPS certifications and approvals: In-Center Hemodialysis CAHPS; CAHPS for Accountable Care Organizations; CAHPS for Qualified Health Plans, and CAHPS for the Physician Quality Reporting System.
today
CSS Research continues to guide the industry as a leading survey research provider for the nation's most demanding organizations.
Want to discuss your needs with our team?
Our team is standing by to help you measure, report, and improve the experiences that your healthcare patients receive.
Our research team includes experts with an average of more than 20 years of experience in the fields of consumer issues, healthcare performance measurement, survey research, analysis, and IT solutions.