HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems)

How It Works

HCAHPS is the first national, standardized survey of patients' hospital experiences. Every hospital that participates in Medicare must administer the survey to a random sample of discharged patients. The survey includes 29 questions covering nurse communication, doctor communication, hospital environment, responsiveness, pain management, medication communication, discharge information, care transitions, and overall rating. Results are publicly reported on Medicare.gov and factor into the CMS star rating. HCAHPS scores also affect Medicare reimbursement through the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing program — hospitals with low patient satisfaction scores receive reduced payments.

Related Terms

• CMS Star Rating (Hospital Overall Rating) — A 1-to-5 star rating assigned by CMS to hospitals based on quality measures — covering mortality, safety, readmissions, patient experience, and timely care.
• Value Score — HospitalCostData's proprietary A-F grade combining price (40%), quality rating (40%), and patient outcomes (20%) — measuring whether a hospital delivers good care at a fair price.