HAC Study Guide 2026
Everything you need to pass the HAC exam in one place: the exam format, every topic to study, real practice questions with explanations, flashcards, and full-length practice tests. Free, no sign-up needed.
📚 HAC Topics to Study (69)
✍️ Sample HAC Questions & Answers
1. Which healthcare risk is most commonly associated with non-compliance?
Non-compliance in healthcare, particularly concerning regulations like HIPAA, most commonly leads to data breaches and privacy violations. When organizations fail to adhere to data protection standards, patient health information can be exposed, accessed without authorization, or improperly disclosed. These incidents can result in significant financial penalties, loss of patient trust, and severe reputational damage for the healthcare entity, highlighting the critical importance of compliance.
2. Which measure type evaluates what actually happened to a patient as a direct result of care?
Outcome measures capture the end result of care, such as mortality, readmission, or complication rates, reflecting the actual health status of patients.
3. Which element of an advance directive specifies the healthcare agent authorized to make decisions if the patient becomes incapacitated?
A healthcare power of attorney designates a specific individual (agent) to make medical decisions when the patient lacks decision-making capacity.
4. The Stark Law (Physician Self-Referral Law) prohibits physicians from referring Medicare patients to entities for designated health services when the physician has a:
The Stark Law prohibits self-referral when a physician (or immediate family member) has a financial relationship—ownership, investment, or compensation arrangement—with the referred entity.
5. Which hand hygiene indication under WHO's '5 Moments' occurs immediately BEFORE touching a patient?
Moment 1 in the WHO framework requires hand hygiene before patient contact to protect the patient from pathogens carried by the healthcare worker.
6. In quality measurement, 'face validity' means:
Face validity is the degree to which a measure appears on its surface to capture the intended concept, as judged by experts or stakeholders.