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CREDENTIAL MAINTENANCE (RECERTIFICATION)

 

Qualifying Continuing Education Activities and Calculation of CEUs
(Blue Italicized Text Excerpts from AHIMA Recertification Guide, Summer 2014 Revision, pp 5-7)

 

Continuing Education (CE) Content

CEUs must be earned within your recertification cycle and must be relevant to the HIIM field as presented in
the HIIM domains to be eligible for CE credit. Eighty (80) percent of all CEUs must be earned within the HIIM domain (see Appendix A). The remaining twenty (20) percent can include participation in CE activities on topics not relevant to HIIM.

 

Calculation of CEUs

Calculation of CEUs is based upon clock hours. One (1) CEU is given for each 60 minutes of attendance or participation that is fixed in length. Fractional parts of an hour less than 45 minutes in duration will not be considered a full hour credit. For example, a program that is 2 1/2 hours long is equivalent to two CEUs.

 

CE Activities (PLEASE SEE RECERTIFICATION GUIDE FOR SEVERAL PAGES OF OTHER ACTIVITIES AND THEIR QUALIFYING CEUs)

1. Participation in educational programs on topics relevant to HIIM.

  • Educational portions of AHIMA meetings (national convention, state, local, or regional meetings)—one (1) CEU for each 60 minutes of participation

  • Educational portions of programs of allied health and other relevant professional associations—one (1) CEU for each 60 minutes of participation

  • Educational portions of programs sponsored by organizations or vendors on topics that maintain, update, or enlarge knowledge and skills relevant to the HIIM profession—one (1) CEU for each 60 minutes of participation

  • Telecommunications and teleseminars relevant to the HIIM profession—one (1) CEU for each 60 minutes of participation [...]

 

Non-Qualifying Continuing Education Activities

Examples of activities that do not qualify for CEUs are as follows. The list is illustrative and not intended to be all-inclusive.

  • Responsibilities that fall within the normal parameters of an individual’s job description, including, but not limited to, the following: (1) staff meetings; (2) grand rounds; (3) preparation for and/or participation in accreditation and licensure surveys; (4) preparation of procedure, policy, or administrative manuals; (5) con- ducting tours; (6) participation in career day activities; (7) development of employee and staff training materials

  • Published materials and/or presentations developed as a direct part of an individual’s employment

  • Serving in a volunteer leadership role for AHIMA or any other professional organization

  • Instructing or teaching a class

  • Summarizing articles, audiotapes, or video 

 

In a program such as our state annual meeting that is several days in duration, CEUs are calculated separately for each day. For example, a two-day program which calculates to 5 hours on the first day and 6 hours on the second day is eligible for 5 CEU hours on the first day and 6 CEU hours on the second day for a total of 11 hours. In addition, you may collect 1.0 CEU per meeting for visiting the Vendor Hall Exhibits.

 

Programming is carefully planned for each continuing education program offered. If you deviate from attending all education sessions offered in a given day or program, use the above guidelines to calculate your individual CEU hours for the annual meeting.

 

Excerpt:  AHIMA Recertification Guide:  Appendix A—HIIM Domains

HIIM Professional Domain Definition: HIIM improves the quality of healthcare by ensuring the most timely and accurate information is available to make any healthcare decision. HIIM professionals manage healthcare data and information resources. The profession encompasses services in planning, collecting, aggregating, analyzing, and disseminating individual patient and aggregate clinical data. It serves the following healthcare stakeholders: patients, providers, patient care organizations, research and policy agencies, payers, and other healthcare-related entities.

 

Eighty (80) percent of all CEUs must be earned within the HIIM Domain, which is divided into the domain areas below.

​

The CCHIIM provides the following list of examples of educational experiences. These educational experiences may include, but are not limited to, the following:

​

1.  Technology:  Applicationofexistingandemergingtechnologiesforthecollectionofclinicaldata,the transformation of clinical data to useful health information, and the communication and protection of information on analog (for example, paper or analog photographic film) or digital media (for example, magnetic tape, optical disk, CD, or DVD).

​

Topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Electronic health records (EHRs)

  • HIIM software applications (encoders, patient information management systems, and chart management, CDI systems, and electronic queries.)

  • Personal health record (PHR)

  • Health information exchange (HIE)

  • Speech recognition

 

2.  Management Development: Application of organizational management theory and practices in addition to human resource management techniques to improve departmental adaptability, innovation, service quality, and operational efficiency.

 

Topics include but are not limited to:

  • Project management

  • Training and development

  • Work design

  • Employee hiring and retention

  • Effective communication

​

3.  Clinical Data Management: Applications and analysis of quality and clinical resources appropriate to the clinical setting. Includes database management, clinical documentation improvement, and coding compliance using CPT, ICD-9-CM, or other specialized coding systems within the prospective or payment system to ensure quality and cost effectiveness of the rendered services (for example, data integrity, quality of documentation, and clinical efficiency).

 

Topics include, but are not limited to:
• ICD-9-CM/CPT/HCPCS
• Prospective payment systems (for example, DRG and APC) • ICD-10
• Registries
• RAC

 

4.  Performance Improvement:  Developmentandapplicationofqualityprocessestoensurequalitydata is generating consistent, timely quality information. Developing systems that are flexible and adaptable in a constantly changing healthcare environment (for example, e-HIM®, regulatory changes, and new technology.)

 

Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Outcomes data management
• Revenue cycle management
• Clinical practice guidelines

• Remote coding or computer-assisted coding

​

5.  External Forces: Study of regulatory requirements and the development of appropriate compliance initiatives for policies, procedures, protocols, and technology for hospitals, specialty facilities, and other healthcare providers. Includes the development of systems (for example, e-HIM®) to implement required practices for the Joint Commission and other accrediting bodies and federal and state rules and regulations (for example, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and HIPAA).

 

Topics include, but are not limited to: • OIG work plan
• HIPAA
• Compliance

• Legal or regulatory update
• EHR certification and incentive programs

 

6.  Clinical Foundations: Understanding of human anatomy and physiology; the nature of disease processes; and the protocols of diagnosis and treatment of major diseases to include common drugs and laboratory and other tests used for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Practice the ability to apply this knowledge to the reading, coding, and abstracting of medical information to support quality patient care and associated databases.

 

Topics include, but are not limited to: • Pathophysiology
• Pharmacology
• Clinical intervention

• Diagnostic and laboratory testing • Telemedicine

 

7.  Privacy and Security:  Understanding and application of current healthcare regulations that promote protection of medical information and the electronic transmission of health information. Acting as the patients’ advocate, helping them understand their rights in regard to protected health information on any applicable analog or digital medium.

​

Topics include, but are not limited to: • Release of information
• Confidentiality
• Personal health information

• Security risk assessment • Security audit
• Privacy risk assessment

 

Caveat: AHIMA guidelines allow an individual to earn CE credits in areas other than those defined by the core content areas as long as the core content requirement is met. It is AHIMA's intent that activities counted in this category be relevant to the individual's professional development as opposed to his or her personal growth. Individuals who are audited may be asked to demonstrate the rationale for using “Other” activities to fulfill CE requirements.

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