Health information management (HIM) certifications offer a path forward during these changing times. Most healthcare facilities today rely on medical data to develop appropriate treatment plans for their patients.

However, they are inundated with more information daily. With the coming of HIM, medical facilities can distinguish valuable data from extraneous details.

Here, let’s look at the top HIM credentials.

HIM Certification

Are you curious about becoming a health information manager as a career path?

Then, it would be best if you learned about their certifications. That’s an ideal way to demonstrate your competence to prospective employers.

Keep reading this post for such details.

  • Why Do You Require Health Information Management Certification?

There’s more than one reason to obtain this credential. These reasons can equally be considered the advantages of holding this certificate.

As earlier highlighted, HIM certification will showcase your knowledge and understanding of the progression. It’s also proof you’ve reached a milestone in your career development.

Furthermore, the certificate will distinguish you in an increasingly competitive market. It will expand your career chances and validate your knowledge, competency, and credibility.

You’ll also acquire skills and tools to help you make a significant difference in your organization and community.

What’s more? HIM certification will reinforce your stability in periods of transition. You can also use the credential mark and digital badge in your professional materials.

Finally, you’ll receive priority for HIM certification chances and highlight your credentials with inclusion in the agency’s directory.

Top Health Information Management Certifications

Some reputable agencies offer HIIM certifications.

They include AHIMA, AMT, and AAPC. Each of these associations has many outstanding certificates you can obtain. These credentials also have their respective specs and essentials.

  • The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)

In the U.S., AHIMA is considered the leader in HIM qualifications. They have provided over a hundred thousand healthcare information experts with top-tier certifications.

They currently boast five HIM and coding qualifications and three specialty certifications. These credentials cover various occupational roles in the field.

  • Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) Certification

Are you interested in moving up the career ladder in positions like DRG validator, quality improvement analyst, health information technician, etc.?

Then this qualification is suitable for you. It will prove your understanding of the medical, ethical, administrative, and legal standards relating to healthcare provision and the privacy of protected patients.

With AHIMA RHIA certification, you can pursue managerial roles such as HIM manager, director, regional director, and more. However, it would be best to hold a bachelor’s degree from a CAHIIM-accredited school to qualify for this certificate.

  • Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) Technician

Similarly, an RHIT qualification will showcase your ability to use computer applications to perform critical tasks. These include assembling and analyzing patient data to improve care or control costs.

The credential is intended for professionals who want to work directly with medical records, system applications, and coding.

To qualify for this certificate, you’ll typically need an associate degree. However, your credentials must be obtained from a certified institution.

  • Certified Coding Associate (CCA) Certification

If you have experience in coding, this credential is ideal for you.

It will demonstrate your medical coding competency in medical settings and a solid commitment to the occupation. But before receiving this qualification, certain conditions must be met.

These include working experience or finishing coding associate studies certified by AHIMA. Candidates with high school diplomas are also eligible to apply.

  • Certified Health Data Analyst (CHDA) Certification

Do you already have another HIM qualification, a baccalaureate degree, or three years of healthcare data experience? Then, CHDA certification is ideal for you.

It will prove your ability to acquire, interpret, manage, analyze, and transform healthcare data into accurate, consistent, and timely information.

To be eligible, you must hold a bachelor’s degree, RHIA, or RHIT credential.

  • Certified Documentation Improvement Practitioner (CDIP) Certification

Candidates pursuing a career in clinical documentation integrity will find this certification appropriate. It will demonstrate their competence in health information management and other related specialties.

To be qualified for this credential, you’ll need to hold another certification from AHIMA.

We refer to RHIT, CSS, RHIA, D.O., CCS-P, and more. You can apply with an associate degree or three years of work experience as a CDI.

You can acquire several other AHIMA certifications besides those we’ve highlighted. They include CHPS, CDIP, CCS-P, and CCS.

All the AHIMA certifications we’ve listed cost around $199 to $399. Before you sit for the test, you must present documentation of qualifications, academic certificates, and work experience.

The qualification you obtained after passing the test needs to be renewed yearly.

But before you do that, certain conditions must be met. These include paying a renewal fee and finishing 20–50 hours of continuing education.

American Medical Technologists (AMT)

As highlighted above, this is another top-tier certifying organization for allied health professions, including HIM.

They provide a single qualification for various fields like a phlebotomist, laboratory consultant, and dental assistant, with various certificates available for obtaining.

  • Medical Administrative Specialist (CMAS) Certification

This credential is awarded explicitly to practitioners who are skilled in medical records. We mean people with extensive skills and experience in medical coding, clinic management, insurance billing, and budgeting.

To be eligible, you must hold an RMA certification and work as a specialist full-time for two years.

Candidates who graduated from the medical administrative specialist program can also apply. However, they must have at least 720 hours of internship, of which 160 hours are completed in an externship.

Finally, you can use it if you’ve been employed as a medical administrative specialist for five or seven years.

The certification exam typically costs $135. After every three years, you’ll be required to renew your credential. But you must pay a renewal fee of $75 and finish 30 certification continuation programs.

  • American Academy of Professional Carders (AAPC)

Among all education and training organizations in the U.S., AAPC ranks at its peak.

They offer 28 certifications in several fields of expertise. These include medical coding, healthcare compliance, clinical documentation, and HIM.

In addition to certifications, they also offer training workshops to members advancing their education. This is to improve their advancement chances and finish their continuing academic units.

Meanwhile, a few qualifications you can acquire include CIC, CRC, COC, and CPC.

The certification exam typically costs $299 to $400. The certificate expires, and renewal costs are $190 annually, with certain conditions to be met before renewal.

These include submitting proof of at least 36 units of continuing studies.

Given the high HIM qualifications, making the best pick can be challenging. This is due to the wide range of possibilities for earning a certification.

Time, money, and effort are frequently required for these certificates. Therefore, you must perform preliminary research to identify the best credentials for your job aspirations.