How to improve patient satisfaction survey response rates
By Kate Monica●3 min. read●Feb 23, 2026
Most patients don’t respond to satisfaction surveys. The average response rate for federal HCAHPS surveys is only 23%, according to a Flex Monitoring Team analysis.
Increasing your response rates matters. Higher response rates mean better data, improved care, and more accurate reimbursements. A few simple changes can make a significant difference in whether patients provide feedback or not.
Why improving response rates matters
Under the value-based care system, providers receive financial incentives based on performance measures. One way the federal government evaluates performance is by tracking patient-reported outcomes in healthcare satisfaction surveys.
These surveys are administered shortly after the care experience.
The goal: Get responses back from a representative sampling of your patient population within five weeks of a visit.
Why are larger sample sizes important for patient satisfaction surveys?
A larger sample size provides a more complete picture of how patients feel about their quality of care.
A more diverse respondent pool matters, especially as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) zeroes in on social determinants of health.
Faster responses lead to better data. Longer response rates are correlated with lower patient satisfaction scores. So, finding ways to get more patient satisfaction survey responses back quicker can help increase your patient satisfaction scores.
A little goes a long way: small incentives boost response rates
Providing an appropriate incentive to patients who complete surveys does, indeed, increase response rates. In a randomized study, researchers found that incentives positively impacted response rates with a median increase of 12%.
Price et. al observed how different incentives influenced response rates. A $10 incentive increased survey response rates by 20%. For a price, healthcare providers can significantly improve their patient satisfaction survey program.
When you deliver the incentive matters
If you’re doing survey invitations by mail or email, consider providing the incentive upfront.
Including an incentive when you initially send over the survey yields higher response rates for some groups compared to providing the incentive after you receive the completed survey.
Why do prepaid incentives work?
Don Dillman explains this curiosity using social exchange theory in his book “Survey Methodology.”
Social exchange theory posits that pairing survey invites with a prepaid incentive does a couple helpful things:
It draws attention to the request, reducing the likelihood that the survey will be immediately discarded.
It establishes trust with the participants about the intentions of the survey or study. Basically, respondents see that you really value their feedback.
It triggers a sense of reciprocity. You already gave them a reward, so most people will feel like they might as well give you the information you want in return.
A note on incentives for Medicare and Medicaid patients:
If your patient population includes Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries, note that the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) caps incentives at a value of $15 per item and $75 per patient per year. Cash and cash equivalents are also off limits. Stick with “in-kind” retailer-specific gift cards that can only be used for certain items, such as such as coffee shops, meal deliveries, or gas.
How to reduce bias and improve patient satisfaction scores
Two biases can crop up when patients take too long to respond to surveys:
Recall bias: As time passes, our mind muddles our memories. We’re not as good at accurately recalling small details as we’d like to think, and we naturally omit things or misremember our experiences after a while. It’s nobody’s fault, but it can bias survey results against the truth.
Selection bias: This occurs when the people who volunteer to participate in a survey or study differ significantly from the larger population. In some cases, attrition can also cause selection bias.
The fix
Encourage patients to send survey responses back sooner rather than later. The faster patients turn in their surveys, the more likely they’ll have positive things to say.
Here’s how you can encourage patients to respond to your survey as soon as possible:
Send surveys digitally via email or text: Mailed patient satisfaction surveys can take too long to arrive. Patients forget important details. Conversely, emails and texts can be triggered immediately after patients leave the office.
Call the day after the appointment: Phone calls encourage fast feedback and might promote more positive responses. A Health Services Research study found patients who completed surveys by phone often gave more favorable evaluations compared to mail.
Key takeaways
Here’s how you can improve patient satisfaction survey response rates and reduce bias:
Include a small, prepaid incentive with the survey. Research suggests that as little as $10 can meaningfully move the needle on response rates.
Go digital. Email and text-based surveys reach patients faster than mail, which can help reduce recall bias.
Keep it short and sweet. Don’t overwhelm the patient with a ton of questions, and try to keep the phrasing of your questions simple and straightforward.
