Overview of Expertise

CSS was founded in 1974 for the purpose of conducting and encouraging studies of the kind and quality of consumer services available to the public and ways to improve these services. Throughout its history, CSS has developed innovative and efficient ways to gather, analyze, and report information on the quality and cost of services of many kinds. CSS's experience surveying patients and members about their health plans, hospitals, physicians, and other providers goes back 30 years. Our consumer publications include nationally distributed books like CHECKBOOK's Guide to Health Plans for Federal Employees updated and published annually and our Guide to Top Doctors. CSS has continually sought to refine its internal processes and methods to leverage new technology and industry-best practices.

Over the years, CSS has conducted extensive and groundbreaking work in the health care field.  CSS conducts projects for government and private clients and has expertise in the health care system, survey design and management, data management, statistical analysis, and communicating research findings.

CSS specializes in data collection and analysis. We have experience with mail, telephone, and internet-based data collection, and have conducted many types of data analysis and reporting.  CSS's focus on health care research allows us to anticipate the unique challenges associated with patient surveys, which often differ from other types of consumer research due to the sensitivity of the data and issues involved.

Confidentiality and Privacy

In most of its projects, CSS handles data that may include proprietary business information and may contain sensitive private information about individuals.  Our contracts with clients make it clear that the clients own all of the data supplied to us and all of the data resulting from the surveys we conduct for them.  We take all necessary steps to protect such data.  To assure clients that personal health information will be protected and all HIPAA requirements met, CSS participated in, and was certified by, the joint NCQA/JCAHO Privacy Certification for Business Associates program.