This primer provides an overview of the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) program, which offers a suite of standardized survey instruments for collecting information directly from consumers and patients about their experiences in various health care settings. The CAHPS program is funded and overseen by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which works closely with a consortium of public and private research organizations. All CAHPS products are in the public domain and available to users at no charge.

"The Benefits of CAHPS®" is part of a suite of resources on patient experience designed by Aligning Forces for Quality to assist community health collaboratives in discussing the growing importance of measuring patient experience and providing the information and tools needed to help stakeholders get up to speed.