# Hospital-Acquired Conditions (HACs) > Hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) refer to complications or adverse events that patients develop during their stay in a hospital. Source: https://dmand.ai/glossary/hospital-acquired-conditions-hacs · Last updated: 2026-10-17 [Glossary](https://dmand.ai/glossary) Updated Oct 17, 2026 1 min read [Copy as Markdown](https://dmand.ai/glossary/hospital-acquired-conditions-hacs.md) Definition Hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) are harms a patient develops during a hospital stay that were not present on admission, such as infections, pressure injuries, falls and blood clots after surgery. Medicare reduces payments to hospitals with the highest HAC rates, so reducing them is both a quality and a financial priority for hospital leaders. HACs were not present when the patient was admitted, so they often point to gaps in the quality of care. They make patients sicker, lengthen stays and raise costs, which is why CMS ties hospital payments to them. ## What are common examples of hospital-acquired conditions? - Infections picked up in the hospital, such as Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) and MRSA - Surgical site infections after procedures - Stage III and IV pressure injuries - Infections linked to central lines and urinary catheters - Falls and injuries during the stay - Blood clots after certain surgeries ## How does Medicare penalize hospital-acquired conditions? Under the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program, hospitals that rank in the worst-performing quartile on HAC measures, with a Total HAC Score above the 75th percentile, receive a 1% reduction in Medicare payments for all fee-for-service discharges that year ([CMS, HAC Reduction Program](https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/prospective-payment-systems/acute-inpatient-pps/hospital-acquired-condition-reduction-program-hacrp), as of September 2026). ## How can technology help reduce HACs? Early-warning tools in the EHR flag patients at risk of sepsis, falls or pressure injuries before harm happens. Infection surveillance software tracks cases across units, and analytics show which practices and units need attention. Devices such as safer catheters and pressure-relief surfaces target specific conditions. ## What HACs mean for teams selling into healthcare Because HACs carry a direct payment penalty, patient safety and infection prevention leaders have a clear reason to buy. Sell to the chief quality officer, the CNO, infection prevention and the patient safety team, and show how your product moves the measures CMS scores. Newsletter Free, on Substack Selling Into Healthcare How US health systems, hospitals and practices buy, written for the teams that sell to them. - Org structures - Buyer maps - Data playbooks - Outbound - Market notes [Issue 1 · Latest The healthcare sales map was wrong. So we drew a new one.](https://dmand.ai/blog/healthcare-sales-map) Find the decision makers at every health system you sell into 7.4M+ HCPs and 11M+ executives, mapped down to each site of care. [Start free trial](https://app.dmand.ai/signup?from=glossary&src=glossary%3A%2Fglossary%2Fhospital-acquired-conditions-hacs&cta=rail_cta) 30 days free · Self-serve · No credit card HAC See where HAC shows up on the accounts you sell to Search 7.4M+ HCPs and 11M+ executives at 997K+ sites of care, each placed under its health system and IDN. [Start free trial](https://app.dmand.ai/signup?from=glossary&src=glossary%3A%2Fglossary%2Fhospital-acquired-conditions-hacs&cta=closing_cta) [Book a demo](https://dmand.ai/book-a-demo) - 30 days free - Self-serve - No credit card