Sixty primary care practices the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) have recognized as Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH) earned the added title of “distinction” as a result of submitting Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) PCMH Survey results to NCQA. Those who have usedCAHPS survey to capture patient and family feedback have demonstrated their commitment to engaging their patients. NCQA says it also facilitates eventually using the results to track improvement and compare performance.

“NCQA CAHPS Distinction means a practice excels at listening to patients—a key to high-quality, 21^st century primary care,” Margaret O’Kane, President of the NCQA, said in a statement. “I commend these practices for taking great interest in their patients and for laying the groundwork to track quality improvement.”

Two organizations sponsored the CAHPS Distinction practices: Taconic IPA and the Rhode Island Quality Institute. "We are pleased—but not surprised—that these practices have achieved this NCQA honor," Annette C. Watson, R.N., senior vice president of Community Transformation for Taconic IPA and immediate past chair of the Commission for Case Manager Certification, said in a statement.  "Taconic IPA has long been focused on creating a culture focused on patient-centered care and believes that with the proper support, transformation is possible for organizations of any size."