Delta Dental launches nationwide effort to advance patient-centered care

Delta Dental will administer the CAHPS Dental Plan Survey nationally to gather insights into patients' oral health experiences and improve oral healthcare


OAK BROOK, Ill., May 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Delta Dental Plans Association announced the nationwide deployment of the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Dental Plan Survey by its member companies covering all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico in 2021. 

"Our mission is to advance the oral health of all Americans, and we are proud that we will be the first commercial health insurer to deploy the CAHPS Dental Plan Survey nationally," said James W. Hutchison, President & CEO, Delta Dental Plans Association. "The insights gathered from the CAHPS Dental Plan Survey will better position us to advance patient-centered care and understand patients' oral health journeys from purchasing a dental plan to visiting the dentist's office."

The CAHPS Dental Plan Survey is an anonymous standardized questionnaire that asks adult patients about their oral healthcare experiences. The questions asked within the survey are designed to provide a view into the overall patient experience and satisfaction from every aspect of their oral healthcare interactions. This includes questions relating to their dental plan and the care and services received from their dental office.

"The aggregated CAHPS survey results will provide Delta Dental's network of dentists with keen insights into patients' experiences, enabling the enhancement of the doctor-patient bond in meaningful, metrics-driven ways," said Joseph Dill, DDS, MBA, Vice President of Dental Science, Delta Dental Plans Association. 

The survey is a validated patient experience survey tool developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Inaugurated in 1995, the CAHPS survey is used by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, and Veterans Affairs. The CAHPS Dental Plan Survey was first administered in 2006 by the U.S. military for the TriCare dental services program. Delta Dental will be the first commercial health insurer to deploy the CAHPS Dental Plan Survey nationally to advance the patient-centered approach to delivering oral healthcare.    

About Delta Dental Plans Association
Based in Oak Brook, Illinois, Delta Dental Plans Association is the not-for-profit national association of the 39 independent Delta Dental companies. Through these companies, Delta Dental is the nation's largest dental insurance provider, covering more than 80 million Americans and offering the country's largest dental network with approximately 156,000 participating dentists. Over the last decade, Delta Dental companies provided over $1.75 billion in direct and in-kind support to improve the oral health of our communities across the country. Visit deltadental.com for information on individual dental insurance plans and group dental insurance plans.

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