HCAHPS stands for which of the following?

• A. Hospital Patient Services and Care Quality System
• B. Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems
• C. Health Care Assessment for Hospitals and Patient Services
• D. Hospital Consumer and Safety System

Answer: (B)

HCAHPS is a standardized survey that measures patients' perceptions of their hospital stay, providing a consistent way to compare hospitals on patient experience. The acronym stands for Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems. This name captures its purpose: it asks patients about their care from the consumer perspective and involves providers and hospital systems in the process. It’s used nationwide to publicly report hospital performance and influences Medicare payments through value-based purchasing.

The other names don’t match the official title, as they alter key terms like Assessment, Consumer, or Providers and Systems, so they aren’t the correct expansion of HCAHPS.