Survey Response Style and Differential Use of CAHPS Rating Scales by Hispanics

Abstract

The observed higher Hispanic ratings may be partially attributed to differences in response style rather than superior care. This suggests caution in the use of central tendency measures and the proportion of 10 ratings when examining racial/ethnic differences in CAHPS ratings of care. It is advisable to consider pooling responses at the top end (eg, 9 and 10) and lower end (eg, 0-6) of the response scale when making racial/ethnic comparisons.