Common use of Sampling Services Clause in Contracts

Sampling Services. 1. The Contractor shall provide a sample format, in Excel, and request a test sample from each practice prior to finalizing production schedules for each wave of data collection. The Contractor shall work with each practice, supported by the State, to resolve any problems with content or format of the test sample. The Contractor shall schedule the practice for the next wave if the problems are not able to be resolved in a timely fashion. Once the Contractor has approved the practice’s test sample, the Contractor shall ask the practice to use the sample format to prepare the actual sample frame submitted for the sample selection process. 2. The Contractor shall accept practice sample frame files that are submitted to the Contractor by practices in the format specified in the most recent version of Specifications for the CAHPS® PCMH Survey, in Excel with all required data file elements included in the sample frame and an accompanying data file layout. The Contractor shall accept optional data elements that are appended to the end of the standard set of elements. 3. The Contractor shall provide a transfer center for practice submission of sample frames; the transfer center is a website utilizing 128-bit encryption through SSL that allows for secure transfer of files using a web browser. The Contractor shall also accept files submitted on physical media (e.g., diskette, CD-ROM) or by e-mail that is compressed, encrypted, and secured by a password. 4. The Contractor shall instruct practices on patient eligibility and that sample frames should represent all eligible patient files, using guidelines in Specifications for the CAHPS® PCMH Survey to define eligibility. The Contractor shall also instruct practices that practices are responsible for ensuring that any patient who does not meet these criteria is removed from the sample frame. 5. Upon receiving the sample frame, the Contractor shall check the file for accuracy and completeness. The Contractor shall review and refine the list for its appropriateness as a sampling frame, following guidelines in Specifications for the CAHPS® PCMH Survey. The Contractor shall work with practices, as needed, to resolve any sample frame data file issues. 6. The Contractor shall de-duplicate the data files to ensure that each patient is represented only once in the sampling frame. 7. The Contractor shall remove from the data files any patient who does not meet the age criterion for the adult or child survey, as appropriate, using the designated cutoff date, which shall be the last day of the measurement period, per NCQA guidelines. The specific date shall be determined by the Contractor and the State. The measurement period is defined as the 12 months prior to the date when the eligible population file is generated by the practice. 8. From all eligible cases in the sample frame at each practice, the Contractor shall draw the number of cases corresponding to the number of eligible clinicians in the practice found in the received sample frame, using standard random selection procedures. If fewer than the required number of sample cases are available at a practice, the Contractor shall ensure that the sample includes all eligible patients in the practice. 9. The Contractor shall conduct oversampling for practices, as requested in writing by the State or the practice. 10. Based on estimated eligible provider counts from participating practices, the Contractor shall identify the total sample to be selected. Additional samples or oversampling may be requested by the State after consultation with individual practices. The Contractor and the State shall update practice and sample sizes prior to beginning work on any wave. 11. The Contractor shall secure NCQA approval, if needed, for any enhanced sampling options. 12. After the sample has been randomly selected, the Contractor shall employ a National Change of Address (NCOA) service to update address information. 13. The Contractor shall de-duplicate the selected samples to ensure that only one member of a household is included. 14. The Contractor shall merge a flag identifying respondents who are attributed to each of the Vermont’s ACO Shared Savings Programs and other health care reform initiatives. The State shall ensure that the Contractor receives the information needed to accomplish such flagging or identification.

Sampling Services. 1. The Contractor shall provide a sample format, in Excel, and request a test sample from each practice prior to finalizing production schedules for each wave of data collection. The Contractor shall work with each practice, supported by the State, to resolve any problems with content or format of the test sample. The Contractor shall schedule the practice for the next wave if the problems are not able to be resolved in a timely fashion. Once the Contractor has approved the practice’s test sample, the Contractor shall ask the practice to use the sample format to prepare the actual sample frame submitted for the sample selection process. 2. The Contractor shall accept practice sample frame files that are submitted to the Contractor by practices in the format specified in the most recent version of Specifications for the CAHPS® PCMH Survey, in Excel with all required data file elements included in the sample frame and an accompanying data file layout. The Contractor shall accept optional data elements that are appended to the end of the standard set of elements. 3. The Contractor shall provide a transfer center for practice submission of sample frames; the transfer center is a website utilizing 128-bit encryption through SSL that allows for secure transfer of files using a web browser. The Contractor shall also accept files submitted on physical media (e.g., diskette, CD-CD- ROM) or by e-mail that is compressed, encrypted, and secured by a password. 4. The Contractor shall instruct practices on patient eligibility and that sample frames should represent all eligible patient files, using guidelines in Specifications for the CAHPS® PCMH Survey to define eligibility. The Contractor shall also instruct practices that practices are responsible for ensuring that any patient who does not meet these criteria is removed from the sample frame. 5. Upon receiving the sample frame, the Contractor shall check the file for accuracy and completeness. The Contractor shall review and refine the list for its appropriateness as a sampling frame, following guidelines in Specifications for the CAHPS® PCMH Survey. The Contractor shall work with practices, as needed, to resolve any sample frame data file issues. 6. The Contractor shall de-duplicate the data files to ensure that each patient is represented only once in the sampling frame. 7. The Contractor shall remove from the data files any patient who does not meet the age criterion for the adult or child survey, as appropriate, using the designated cutoff date, which shall be the last day of the measurement period, per NCQA guidelines. The specific date shall be determined by the Contractor and the State. The measurement period is defined as the 12 months prior to the date when the eligible population file is generated by the practice. 8. From all eligible cases in the sample frame at each practice, the Contractor shall draw the number of cases corresponding to the number of eligible clinicians in the practice found in the received sample frame, using standard random selection procedures. If fewer than the required number of sample cases are available at a practice, the Contractor shall ensure that the sample includes all eligible patients in the practice. 9. The Contractor shall conduct oversampling for practices, as requested in writing by the State or the practice. 10. Based on estimated eligible provider counts from participating practices, the Contractor shall identify the total sample to be selected. Additional samples or oversampling may be requested by the State after consultation with individual practices. The Contractor and the State shall update practice and sample sizes prior to beginning work on any wave. 11. The Contractor shall secure NCQA approval, if needed, for any enhanced sampling options. 12. After the sample has been randomly selected, the Contractor shall employ a National Change of Address (NCOA) service to update address information. 13. The Contractor shall de-duplicate the selected samples to ensure that only one member of a household is included. 14. The Contractor shall merge a flag identifying respondents who are attributed to each of the Vermont’s ACO Shared Savings Programs and other health care reform initiatives. The State shall ensure that the Contractor receives the information needed to accomplish such flagging or identification.