Free Hospice Survey
50+ Expert Crafted Hospice Survey Questions
Measuring hospice care quality with targeted hospice survey questions reveals invaluable insights into patient, family, and volunteer experiences, empowering your team to enhance compassion and outcomes. A hospice survey is a structured feedback tool designed to capture perspectives across your community, ensuring your program aligns with needs and expectations. Download our free template loaded with proven example questions or head to our online form builder to craft a fully customized survey tailored to your organization.
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Top Secrets to Crafting a Hospice Survey That Delivers Honest Feedback
Hospice survey plays a vital role in improving care quality and communication. Gathering honest feedback helps hospices fine-tune emotional, physical, and spiritual support. When families feel heard, they can share insights on compassion and professionalism.
Start by defining your goals clearly: Are you measuring communication, symptom relief, or caregiver training? Last fall, Oakwood Hospice launched a short phone-based poll asking "How timely was the support you received?" and saw response rates jump 25%. Using a quick poll can spark engagement without overwhelming participants.
Craft focused hospice survey questions to drive clarity. Explore the CAHPS Hospice Survey by AHRQ or the CMS CAHPS Hospice Survey for benchmarks. Include simple prompts like "What do you value most about our communication?" and "Did our team respect your loved one's wishes?" Benchmark your results against a Hospice CAHPS Survey template to ensure consistency.
Finally, test your draft with a small focus group before full rollout. Keep it under 15 questions to maintain focus and respect the emotional context. Crisp surveys lead to higher completion rates and sincere answers. Always pilot with 5 - 10 families to catch unclear wording.
Once responses roll in, categorize them by theme. Focus on common pain management concerns or emotional support wins. A simple dashboard can track trends week by week, leading to faster improvements in care protocols.
Use our Palliative Care Survey template or build a custom one with our guide. Our easy-to-adapt format ensures you cover key measures without overloading respondents. With clear goals and thoughtful questions, your hospice team can turn feedback into improved care experiences.
5 Must-Know Mistakes to Avoid in Your Hospice Survey
Launching a hospice survey? Avoid overwhelming your audience. Too many open-ended items frustrate busy caregivers and lower completion rates. Aim for no more than 12 - 15 questions and use a mix of scales and free text.
Unclear goals lead to ambiguous data. If you don't define your focus - be it symptom management or emotional support - you'll collect noise, not insights. For example, a midwestern hospice asked 30 questions without linking them to action steps. Their team struggled to interpret low satisfaction scores.
Skipping standardized protocols violates best practices. The Quality Assurance Guidelines outline data collection steps, forms, and training. Vendors and staff need to follow QAG V11.0 to ensure data integrity and comparability.
Ignoring respondent diversity skews results. The Hospice Experience of Care Survey found that older caregivers respond differently than younger ones. Adjust for case mix and demographic variables to paint an accurate picture.
Failing to plan follow-up action wastes effort. After you ask "Did staff address pain effectively?" or "Would you recommend our hospice to others?", schedule a debrief meeting. Assign team leads for each theme - communication, symptom relief, caregiver training - to drive improvements. Share results with staff to close the feedback loop.
Download our free template or explore our sample questionnaires to get started. Avoid these common pitfalls and watch your survey transform feedback into meaningful change. Start small and refine with each iteration.
Don't wait months to review results. Set up a tracking system with weekly summaries. A dashboard that flags low-scoring items lets you intervene proactively.
Remember, quality counts more than quantity. A targeted survey module on one topic - like emotional support - can yield richer insights than a generic, lengthy questionnaire. Focus where it matters and refine your questions accordingly.
General Hospice Experience Questions
At the heart of any hospice program is the overall experience of the patient and their family. This section explores broad satisfaction metrics to pinpoint areas of excellence and improvement in your Hospice Satisfaction Survey design. The insights gathered here will help refine service delivery and patient-centered outcomes.
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How satisfied are you with the overall hospice care you received?
This question gauges the patient's general perception of the hospice program and establishes a baseline for satisfaction metrics.
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Were your care services provided in a timely manner?
Measuring timeliness helps identify delays or bottlenecks that could impact patient well-being and satisfaction.
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How effectively did the hospice team manage your pain?
Pain control is a critical aspect of hospice care, and this question assesses the perceived effectiveness of symptom management.
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Did you feel your emotional needs were adequately addressed?
Emotional support is integral to holistic care, and this item reveals gaps in psychological and social care services.
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How would you rate the spiritual support offered to you?
Many patients value spiritual care during end-of-life, making this question vital for understanding its impact on patient comfort.
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Were your individual preferences and values respected?
Respecting patient autonomy is a key principle of hospice care, so this explores how well personal wishes were honored.
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How responsive was the staff to your questions and concerns?
Responsiveness indicates the team's attentiveness and can improve trust and overall satisfaction.
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Did you receive clear information about your condition and care plan?
Transparent communication ensures patients are informed and can participate in decision-making.
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How well did the hospice environment promote your dignity and privacy?
Dignity and privacy are fundamental to patient comfort and this question evaluates facility and process standards.
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Would you recommend this hospice program to others?
Recommendation likelihood serves as a proxy for overall satisfaction and future referrals.
Hospice Staff Communication Questions
Effective communication between staff, patients, and families is essential for high-quality hospice care. These questions focus on the clarity, compassion, and consistency of interactions in your Hospice CAHPS Survey to improve team performance and patient trust.
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Did the hospice staff explain your care plan in a clear and understandable way?
Clear explanations prevent confusion and help patients feel informed about their treatment path.
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How well did the staff listen to your concerns?
Active listening builds trust and ensures patient needs are accurately identified.
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Were you involved in decisions about your care?
Patient involvement in decision-making promotes autonomy and satisfaction with care outcomes.
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Did the staff provide timely updates about changes in your condition?
Regular updates are crucial for keeping patients and families informed about evolving care needs.
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How compassionate did the staff come across during interactions?
Perceived compassion can deeply impact emotional comfort and patient trust in the care team.
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Did staff use language that you could easily understand?
Appropriate terminology ensures that communication is accessible and reduces the risk of misunderstanding.
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Were follow-up questions addressed promptly?
Prompt follow-up demonstrates professionalism and commitment to patient welfare.
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How consistent was the information provided by different team members?
Consistency prevents mixed messages and builds confidence in the hospice team.
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Did the staff respect your cultural and personal values during communication?
Cultural sensitivity is vital for delivering respectful and personalized care.
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Would you say the team encouraged you to ask questions when needed?
Encouraging questions fosters an open dialogue and empowers patients to participate in their care.
Hospice Environment and Comfort Questions
A supportive environment is crucial for patient comfort during hospice care. Use these questions in your Palliative Care Survey to assess how well the facility and care processes meet physical and emotional comfort needs.
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How clean and well-maintained were the hospice facilities?
Cleanliness is a basic quality indicator that affects patient health and perception of care standards.
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Were noise levels kept at a comfortable volume?
Excessive noise can increase stress and disrupt rest, so this measure evaluates environmental tranquility.
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Did you find the room temperature suitable to your comfort?
Temperature regulation is key to physical comfort, especially for patients with sensitivity to heat or cold.
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How comfortable was your bed and seating area?
Physical comfort items like beds directly impact patient relaxation and wellbeing.
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Did you feel your privacy was adequately protected?
Privacy safeguards patient dignity and emotional security in shared care settings.
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Was lighting adjusted to your preference?
Proper lighting affects mood, visibility, and overall comfort in patient accommodations.
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How accessible were facilities and equipment for your specific needs?
Accessibility ensures that patients can move safely and use equipment independently when possible.
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Did the environment feel welcoming and homelike?
A homelike atmosphere can reduce anxiety and improve the emotional state of hospice patients.
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Were any medical devices or equipment managed safely and quietly?
Safe and unobtrusive equipment usage ensures patient safety without causing disturbance.
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Did you feel that safety protocols were consistently followed?
Adherence to safety procedures is crucial to prevent accidents and maintain patient trust.
Hospice Volunteer Program Questions
Volunteers can bring an extra layer of compassion and companionship to hospice care. These questions are designed for your Caregiver Survey section to measure volunteer effectiveness and integration in the care team.
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How easy was it to request volunteer support when needed?
Ease of access indicates whether volunteers are integrated smoothly into the care process.
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Were the roles and responsibilities of volunteers clearly explained to you?
Clarity in volunteer roles prevents confusion and sets accurate expectations.
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How helpful did you find the volunteer's assistance with non-medical needs?
Assessing help with tasks like reading or companionship highlights the volunteer's impact.
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Did the volunteer provide meaningful companionship?
Companionship can alleviate loneliness and enhance emotional wellbeing in hospice settings.
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How well did volunteers support your family members?
Volunteer interactions with family can relieve stress and provide additional emotional resources.
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Were volunteers adequately trained for their tasks?
Proper training is essential for safety and ensures high-quality support services.
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How professional and respectful were the volunteers?
Professional behavior reflects on the hospice program's standards and overall reputation.
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Did volunteers respect your cultural and personal preferences?
Cultural sensitivity by volunteers ensures that support is personalized and respectful.
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Was the frequency of volunteer visits appropriate for your needs?
Optimal visit frequency balances patient support without causing fatigue or intrusion.
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Would you recommend the volunteer program to other families?
Recommendation indicates satisfaction with volunteer contributions and program value.
Family Support and Education Questions
Supporting families with information and education is a cornerstone of comprehensive hospice care. Incorporate these items into your Medical Survey to evaluate how well your team equips loved ones with knowledge and resources.
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How clear and understandable were the instructions provided for home care tasks?
Clear instructions ensure family members can safely and effectively assist with daily care.
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Did you receive adequate training for using medical equipment at home?
Training quality influences confidence and safety in home hospice settings.
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How supported did you feel emotionally by the hospice team?
Emotional support for families is essential to reduce stress and improve coping.
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Were educational materials accessible and helpful?
Well-designed materials reinforce verbal instructions and serve as reference tools.
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Did you receive timely counseling or guidance when concerns arose?
Prompt support helps families address issues before they escalate and maintain care quality.
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How well were bereavement resources explained and provided?
Advance knowledge of bereavement services eases transition after the loss of a loved one.
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Were you included in care planning meetings and decisions?
Inclusion fosters collaboration and ensures family perspectives shape care goals.
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Did the team offer information on community support resources?
Access to external resources extends care beyond the hospice team and supports families holistically.
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How effective were communication channels (phone, email, in-person) with the care team?
Multiple communication options increase accessibility and responsiveness for families.
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Would you recommend the family support services to others in similar situations?
This question measures perceived value and potential for improved referral rates.
