Clinical Documentation Improvement Practitioner (CDIP®)

Now more than ever, a strong, highly respected clinical documentation improvement (CDI) program can make a difference in achieving the goals of RAC audits, ARRA/HITECH, and other important initiatives aimed at improving the quality of healthcare. In response to industry demand, the Commission on Certification for Health Informatics and Information Management (CCHIIM) developed the CDIP credential.

Professionals earning the CDIP credential will:

• Be distinguished as knowledgeable and competent in clinical documentation in patient health records
• Be positioned as leaders and role models in the health informatics and information management community
• Demonstrate competency in capturing documentation necessary to fully communicate patients’ health status and conditions
• Help provide a strong base of expertise in the industry

AHIMA certification can also help to:

• Improve earning potential
• Increase opportunity for career advancement
• Provide a forum to connect with colleagues

As technology changes the way documentation is captured through the use of EHRs, AHIMA is leading the effort to ensure it is still clear, concise, and compliant. AHIMA has extensive expertise in CDI guidance, knowledge of documentation requirements relative to compliant coding and billing, in addition to EHR functionality to support documentation capture.

At the heart of AHIMA’s mission and vision is documentation that supports quality health information. The CDIP certification confirms the commitment of AHIMA to globally improve and maintain quality information for those involved in healthcare as well as support the integrity of the patient’s health record.

Eligibility

Candidates who would like to sit for the CDIP exam must meet one of the eligibility requirements below:

• An RHIA®, RHIT®, CCS®, CCS-P®, RN, MD or DO and two (2) years experience in clinical documentation improvement
• An Associate’s degree or higher and three (3) years of experience in clinical documentation improvement (candidates must also have completed coursework in Medical Terminology and Anatomy and Physiology)

Before submitting an application, carefully review the information contained in this guide. It is the candidate's responsibility to ensure eligibility before submitting the application. Applicants who are determined to be ineligible and submit an ineligible application or request withdrawal of their application, will receive a refund of the application fee minus a $75 processing fee.

Applicants may register online or by submitting a paper application.

Exam Fees

Member Price: $299
Non-member price: $399

Exam Application Checklist

• Read Candidate Guide
• Apply for exam
  • Register Online
  • Exam Application
  • Special Accommodations Form - Form A and B
  • ADA Policy and Procedure
  • ADA Documentation Guidelines
• Upon receipt of authorization to test (ATT), read it completely
• Schedule exam with Pearson Vue​
• Verify what form(s) of Identification are needed at the testing center
• Verify time and date of exam

Eligibility Period

A candidate’s eligibility period is defined in the Authorization to Test letter (ATT) as a four-month window in which candidates are required to schedule their exam appointment. Candidates who fail to schedule an examination appointment within their eligibility period indicated in their ATT will forfeit their application fee. A complete application and examination fee are required to reapply for the examination.

Candidates arriving at the test center 15 minutes after the scheduled appointment will not be allowed to test and will forfeit the testing fee. A complete application and examination fee are required to reapply for the examination.

• CDIP Live Exam Specifications
• CDIP Live Exam Knowledge Topics

Exam Specifications

The CDIP exam is comprised of multiple choice and multiple select items. The majority of exam questions are in the multiple-choice format, where candidates must select the single correct answer. The remaining multiple select items require candidates to select multiple correct answers (e.g., select 2 correct answers out of the 4 presented).

• 140 questions, 106 scored / 34 pretest (unscored) 
• 3 hour exam duration

Exam Content Outline

A certification examination is based on an explicit set of competencies. These competencies have been determined through a job analysis study conducted of practitioners. The competencies are divided into domains and tasks as shown in the tables below. Examinations test only content pertaining to the following competencies.