What does CMS identify "Hospital-Acquired Conditions" to be when a diagnosis is not "present on admission"?

The identification of "Hospital-Acquired Conditions" (HACs) by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) focuses on conditions that patients acquire during their hospital stay and were not present at the time of admission. By defining these conditions as "reasonably preventable," CMS emphasizes that some hospital practices and protocols should ideally mitigate the risk of such conditions occurring.

The classification of HACs is crucial for hospitals in terms of reimbursement and quality of care, as these conditions can lead to complications that might have been prevented with appropriate measures. Therefore, if a diagnosis is not present on admission and is defined as hospital-acquired, it carries implications regarding the hospital's operational practices and patient safety measures.

This focus on prevention aligns with broader healthcare initiatives aimed at improving care quality and reducing unnecessary costs associated with complications that could have been avoided through better practices. In this context, recognizing HACs as "reasonably preventable" highlights the accountability hospitals have in maintaining high standards of care to avoid such conditions.