AHIMA aims to help individuals get the highest standards for their professional development and education in health information domains. It ensures one is conversant with the latest innovations in the field and is ready to stay on par with the upcoming changes. Thanks to its insights, expertise, and global network, AHIMA can deliver high-quality knowledge to help practitioners gain the expertise they need to boost their careers.

Structure of the AHIMA Certification Program

Through its certification program, AHIMA succeeds in helping world leaders, practitioners, and organizations understand how to manage healthcare information topics. The candidates who want to get certified have the opportunity to choose between the following accreditations:

• Certified Coding Associate (CCA)
• Certified Coding Specialist – Physician-based (CCS-P)
• Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
• Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA)
• Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT)
• Certified Documentation Improvement Practitioner (CDIP)
• Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security (CHPS)
• Certified Health Data Analyst (CHDA)

Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA)

The professionals who succeed in getting this certification demonstrate that they have a solid knowledge of administrative, medical, ethical, and legal standards and requirements related to healthcare privacy and delivery of patient-relevant information. This certificate is dedicated to those individuals who occupy manager roles and are active members of administrative committees as well as being in charge of budgets. Also, it targets professionals working in clinical, admin, financial, or information systems positions within an organization, interact with different departments, and use patient data to take a documented decision. Finally, it will be beneficial for those who are in charge of medical records, patient health information, as well as being responsible for collecting patient data, administering computer information systems, and using medical terminologies and classification systems to perform their jobs.

Certified Coding Associate (CCA)

The professionals who obtain the Certified Coding Associate accreditation prove their coding abilities and can apply their competencies in different settings. For example, they can work in any medical organization, including physician practices and hospitals. These individuals also demonstrate that they have a high level of professional commitment in handling healthcare information. Also, they manage to show that they are ready to take the coding role to the highest level and are able to differentiate themselves from their competitors as they were able to pass a very strict exam and gain a prestigious AHIMA certification.

Certified Documentation Improvement Practitioner (CDIP)

The individuals who succeed in passing the Documentation Improvement Practitioner certification test will verify their advanced skills in handling and developing clinical documentation and keeping a strict patient health record. Such accredited professionals are viewed are role models in their community for their validated extended knowledge on health information management. You can apply for this certification if you have at least an associate’s diploma. In case you don’t meet this requirement, you can still be eligible if you hold the RHIA, CCS, RHIT, or CCS-P certificate.

Official Courses for AHIMA Certifications

The candidates willing to get certified should start by taking a close look at the vendor’s site. If you browse it carefully, you will find different training materials that will help you get the passing score in the certification exams from the first attempt. Below are some examples:

• Health Information Management: Concepts, Principles, and Practice, Sixth Edition by Pamela Oachs and Amy Watters

  This book is available on the official AHIMA website for a list price of $115. It is suitable for any healthcare professional or student who wants to validate foundational knowledge on RHIA certification topics as it contains essential information for professionals who work in the healthcare industry. Also, this training material has been created based on the 2018 AHIMA HIM curricula. Therefore, it strictly follows the RHIA syllabus and can be an excellent tool for preparing you to ace your test on the first try. By following the chapters presented in this book, you will get skilled at collecting patient-specific data as well as generating information that will help you in making decisions.

• Medical Coding and Reimbursement Online Courses

  This online learning program is suitable for those candidates who want to get ready for CCA or CCS certifications and is available on the AHIMA official site. The attendees will strengthen their knowledge on managing health information to save lives and help health services providers to allocate resources for those in need. Also, the course includes medical coding guidelines. These concepts will help you for achieving accurate code assignments by preparing the correct documentation. In addition, thanks to this online training, you will get a solid understanding of how the AHIMA’s Ethical Coding Standards can be used in their job roles.

  The applicants can choose to buy the entire bundle of 13 courses for a price of $2,993.25. If your budget is not high enough, you can select some of the topics that interest you the most. For example, you can choose to learn about medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, medical law and ethics, pharmacology and pathophysiology, among others. If your budget is lower, then you can choose the healthcare delivery systems, reimbursement methodology, medical coding practice and career preparation, or CPT coding for beginners parts 1 and 2.

• On-Demand – Healthcare Data Analysis: Analyzing Population Health Data

  This webinar is available for a price of $34.99. By completing it, the candidates will understand how to use healthcare informatics to manage Population Health data as well as which techniques they can use when working with it. Another skill developed at the end of this webinar is related to understanding how to organize and present such data to both internal and external customers. Finally, it is useful for the professionals who want to become AHIMA certified as it helps them develop different strategies that enable them to select the right software tools for analyzing and managing Population Health data properly.

Conclusion

Getting the AHIMA certificate is one of the best investments that a professional can make to his/her future. As the certification process is quite strict and difficult, the candidates need to be very well-prepared if they want to succeed on this path. Fortunately, the vendor offers diverse training opportunities to help professionals reach the level of expertise they want to obtain.

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