ACDIS update: Requirements and experience necessary to test for the CCDS credential

Through our credentials, ACDIS strives to offer CDI professionals credibility, recognition, and opportunities for professional development. The CCDS and CCDS-O credentials are powerful letters to put behind your name, as they demonstrate your competence and experience in the profession.

To keep the value of these credentials and respect all those who carry them proudly, ACDIS carefully reviews each application to check that all applicants meet the requirements necessary to take the CCDS or CCDS-O exam. We've been receiving more applications of late from people who don't meet the requirements for the credentials, and ask that all CCDS-hopefuls remember these credentials are not designed to be entry-level credentials, but to show excellence and experience.

Candidates for the CCDS exam must meet one of the following three education and experience standards and currently be employed as either a concurrent or retrospective Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist (click here to download a prerequisite flowchart and learn if you qualify for the CCDS exam):

• An RN, RHIA, RHIT, MD or DO and two (2) years of experience* as a concurrent or retrospective documentation specialist in an inpatient acute care facility using the United States IPPS system.
• An Associate’s degree (or equivalent) in an allied health field (other than what is listed above) and three (3) years of experience* as a concurrent or retrospective documentation specialist in an inpatient acute care facility using the United States IPPS system. The education component must include completed college-level course work in medical terminology and human anatomy and physiology.
• Formal education (accredited college-level course work) in human anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, and disease process, or the AHIMA CCS or CCS-P credential, and a minimum of three (3) years of experience* in the role as a concurrent or retrospective documentation specialist in an inpatient acute care facility using the United States IPPS system.

Candidates for the CCDS-O exam must meet one of the following two education and experience standards (click here to download a prerequisite flowchart and learn if you qualify for the CCDS-O exam):

• An RN, MD, DO, or HIM/coding certification (RHIA, RHIT, CCS, CPC, CRC, COC) and two (2) years of experience* as an outpatient documentation specialist using United States reimbursement systems.
• An RN, MD, DO, or HIM/coding certification (RHIA, RHIT, CCS, CPC, CRC, COC), one (1) year of experience as an inpatient clinical documentation specialist, and one (1) year of experience* as an outpatient documentation specialist using United States reimbursement systems.

*A year of experience is defined as full-time employment or greater than 2,000 hours worked during that year.

But ACDIS has designed something for entry-level CDI professionals: the ACDIS CDI Apprenticeship. Once people have successfully completed that program, they are allowed to designate themselves as an ACDIS-Approved CDI Apprentice (and we give you a logo to put in your email signature to show off your new status), which demonstrates to employers that the person has a foundational knowledge in CDI. We routinely hear from both organizations and successful candidates that the ACDIS Apprenticeship is what landed them an interview. The apprenticeship allows you to stand apart from those who have no CDI training at all.

But neither the apprenticeship nor an ACDIS credential is a requirement for obtaining a CDI job. While some hospitals look for credentialed individuals, others prefer to train experienced nurses or HIM/coding professionals who enter the CDI profession, because they can be sure they are trained the “correct” way. Many CDI professionals had zero experience before obtaining their first position. If you are interested in a CDI position but have no experience, we recommend you reach out to your local hospitals and talk to their CDI managers.

ACDIS recognizes those who have fairly, honestly earned their credentials, and encourages those preparing for the exam, waiting for eligibility requirements to be fulfilled, or just starting in their roles of CDI with a long-term goal of certification, to keep on the right path towards true success. Remember: the “I” stands for integrity!

For more information on requirements for the CCDS credential and how to prepare, click here. For more information on requirements for the CCDS-O credential and how to prepare, click here. Please direct any questions to the ACDIS team at info@acdis.org.