The survey program was formally established in response to the National Defense Authorization Act Public Law. No. 102-484, § 724, 106 Stat. 2315, 2440 (1992) which states; the administering secretaries shall conduct annually a formal survey of persons receiving health care to determine:  

• Availability of services provided, type of services received and facilities where provided
• Familiarity with availability and facilities
• Health status
• Satisfaction with system and quality provided
• Other matters as appropriate

DHA Decision Support Division (DSD) health care scientists collect information to measure beneficiary and staff satisfaction and to support functions such as: strategic planning and marketing; improving quality of care/access; contractual performance; and responding to the Military Health System (MHS) and Department of Defense (DOD) requests. Surveys are benchmarked against national norms. Results are monitored to implement change as appropriate. DSD's DOD Health Care Survey Operations and Information Control provides the direction, coordination and oversight for all DOD-wide health care survey research/operations.

Core Surveys

Survey Licensure and Clearance

The Survey Licensure and Clearance division provides direction, development, implementation and oversight of survey research for MHS. The department develops policies, strategic plans and operational guidance for survey research and interfaces with other key DOD activities to ensure appropriate approval and licensing of all MHS surveys. In addition, the operational team ensures that goals are met with respect to needs, uses and purposes of surveys and that survey efforts are cost effective, non-duplicative, non-burdensome, efficacious and protect individual privacy.

The primary functions of Survey Operations and Information Control include:

• Provide timely and accurate information and data for program evaluation, performance management, case management and decision support for the MHS (MCSC 3.0, Population Health, etc.)
• Establish premiere, cost effective and integrated assessment programs
• Assist in benchmarking the MHS to its civilian counterparts
• Develop strategy for identifying, articulating and achieving information needs and requirements
• Oversee survey duplication, burden, cost and quality in and (when feasible) outside the MHS