title: Validating competence: a new credential for clinical documentation improvement practitioners.
abstract: As the health information management (HIM) profession continues to expand and become more specialized, there is an ever-increasing need to identify emerging HIM workforce roles that require a codified level of proficiency and professional standards. The Commission on Certification for Health Informatics and Information Management (CCHIIM) explored one such role-clinical documentation improvement (CDI) practitioner-to define the tasks and responsibilities of the job as well as the knowledge required to perform them effectively. Subject-matter experts (SMEs) defined the CDI specialty by following best practices for job analysis methodology. A random sample of 4,923 CDI-related professionals was surveyed regarding the tasks and knowledge required for the job. The survey data were used to create a weighted blueprint of the six major domains that make up the CDI practitioner role, which later formed the foundation for the clinical documentation improvement practitioner (CDIP) credential. As a result, healthcare organizations can be assured that their certified documentation improvement practitioners have demonstrated excellence in clinical care, treatment, coding guidelines, and reimbursement methodologies.
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Patena
authors.forename: Wallace
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Judd
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niederpruem
mesh_terms: D002568:Certification; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D008490:Medical Informatics / Q000592:standards*; D011361:Professional Competence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Commission on Certification for Health Informatics and Information Management (CCHIIM); clinical documentation improvement (CDI); credential; documentation; exam; health information management (HIM) job roles; job analysis; survey