In January of 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) required thousands of healthcare systems across the United States to implement new requirements to the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey—the most comprehensive update to the survey since its inception in 2006.

The revision to HCAHPS introduced new survey items, revised domains, and updated reporting structures and marks a significant shift in how healthcare systems are being evaluated moving forward. As with any measuring tool, data collected can illuminate critical areas of focus and key drivers that shape patient experiences and employee performance.

Our team, in collaboration with researchers from Professional Research Consultants (PRC), a third-party data and research consultancy, has analyzed data collected from over 18,000 patient discharge surveys administered and collected across the United States in Q1 2025, revealing a first look at emerging data trends.