AHIMA discusses new member credentials, degree requirements
A fellowship program may be on the horizon
Health information managers are being swept along by converging advances in medical science and technology that have made the gathering and analysis of medical data increasingly important and require an ever-growing mastery of new skills and information to stay on top of developments in the field.
Responding to the increasing demands for more sophisticated skills and knowledge, delegates to the 69th annual American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) conference in Phoenix have resolved to discuss several changes to the degree requirements and credentialing process of AHIMA members.
"One of the other underlying philosophies here is that it’s really important that we all adopt a mindset of the lifelong learner because things are changing in every field," says Linda Kloss, AHIMA executive vice president and CEO.
"Already we’ve had continuing education in the [health information management (HIM)] field for over two decades, so we know members have been concerned with education and continuing education. Never before has the field been on the brink of such a dramatic change. As an association representing the members, we feel we need to be willing to ask tough questions about what we’re going to need to make these changes."
Kloss is quick to point out that the items put forth for discussion, which could include tougher entry level degree requirements, are being examined by AHIMA’s joint committee on education, which in turn will present an agenda for discussion at its Dec. 8 board meeting. Nothing is set in stone, she emphasizes.
"The board’s goal at that time will be to frame the discussion that will take place over the next year. Our goal is to use 1998 to communicate to AHIMA members then bring them for a vote in 1998," at the annual meeting, Kloss explains.
"It’s our hope that any program that’s advanced is one that doesn’t catch any member by surprise," she adds.
The ideas suggested for discussion by AHIMA members throughout this year fall into several broad categories. They are:
• Education.
This applies to the educational requirements for HIM professionals.
Delegates discussed establishing the associate’s degree as the entry level into the profession. "That relates to the fact that this is happening in other professions," Kloss explains. Many health care organizations are now requiring that occupational therapists hold a master’s degree, she says, as an example.
Kloss points out that this does not mean that current holders of the ART credential would have to go back to college to obtain an associate’s degree. "New people coming in would have to meet the new minimum requirement. If you don’t have it, you won’t lose a credential. It was never intended to force somebody to go back to school in order to maintain a credential," she says.
"We’ve always had a need for a set of strong technical skills, and we don’t see that going away. Are these roles that you can really do without an associate’s degree?"
• Entry level certification.
This would apply to the RRA and the ART certifications. The joint committee on education will be examining the requirements for certification. "What are they, and what are the requirements to get and to keep them?" Kloss says.
During discussion, the delegates considered whether the RRA and ART should be replaced by credentials that more appropriately reflect HIM responsibilities. During the meeting, delegates specifically did not designate a new certification name, Kloss says, because the association wants to hear members’ reaction to the idea of updating the credentials first.
"If we go forward to study creating an alternative, we’ll get professional help to create something that won’t be traumatic but will be sensible," she says, adding, "It’s more than a new name, it’s really a credential that reflects a new knowledge and set of skills data modeling, for example that weren’t part of our role in the past."
But the idea is to bring everybody along, Kloss says. "One of the fundamental tenets of any of the plans for change is that nobody gets left behind."
To that end, the joint committee will look at possibilities for bridging between existing certification and proposed new certification, Kloss says. It will answer the question that many members will no doubt be asking, "If the credential were changed, what would I need to do to replace my RRA with the new credentials?"
• Speciality certification beyond entry level.
This would apply to coders who hold the CCS and CCS-P certification.
In examining the delegates’ ideas, the joint committee and the board will ask, "What is the right set of requirements for eligibility for coding certification?" Kloss explains.
Completion of a high school degree and passing a coding exam are the current requirements.
One idea would add the requirement of an associate’s degree to that list; another would require "certain course work but stop short of requiring a degree," Kloss says.
In addition, the joint committee is working on a model curriculum for a master’s degree in health information management and is considering how candidates might become eligible for certification, Kloss says. Currently, between 12% and 15% of HIM professionals hold a master’s degree, she says.
• Advanced standing.
Another point of discussion among the delegates involves the possibility of creating a fellowship and is based on "the notion that there are individuals who have achieved great things in their career, and there should be a way for those achievements to be acknowledged," Kloss says. "This is not certification you don’t go in and take a test. It’s a self-nominated process. The candidate would be required to put together a resume and list of professional achievements to be considered for a fellowship." A committee would determine eligibility based on a set of specific criteria.
The board is expected to announce its recommendations in mid-January.
If the board decides to recommend any or all of the options, those recommendations will be discussed by members throughout this year. AHIMA will communicate broadly to help members understand the recommendations and what they could mean for professional development.
On-line forums and state and local AHIMA meetings will enable members to hash out the recommendations and offer feedback regarding the future of member education and certification.
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