This temporary informational page is being presented on behalf of Northern Virginia Community College for the purpose of recruiting Subject Matter Experts for examination development.
Information Technology Professionals in Healthcare:
Competency Examination for Individuals Completing Non-Degree Training
On February 17, 2009, the President signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). This statute includes the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (HITECH Act) that sets forth a plan for advancing the appropriate use of health information technology to improve quality of care for each individual in the United States and establishes a foundation for the electronic exchange and use of health information. Under a grant sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, the primary grant recipient Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), along with grant partners AHIMA and Pearson VUE, is developing a set of examinations that will assess skill levels for individuals who are seeking to demonstrate their competency in various health IT (HIT) workforce rules. There are two main role groupings being targeted:
Mobile Adoption Support Positions
These members of the workforce will support implementation at specific locations for a period of time. When their work is done, they will move on to new locations. They include:
- Practice Workflow & Information Management Redesign Specialists
- Clinician/Practitioner Consultants
- Implementation Support Specialists
- Implementation Managers
Permanent Staff of Health Care Delivery and Public Health Sites
These roles are needed for ongoing support of health IT that has been deployed in office practices, hospitals, health centers, long-term care facilities, health information exchange organizations, and state and local public health agencies. They include:
- Technical/Software Support Staff
- Trainers
The examinations will enable HIT professionals to assess competency levels.
Additional Information
For further information on the Competency Exams, including project stakeholders, deliverables, and proposed development timeline, please review this PowerPoint presentation which was delivered on August 10, 2010 at the HIT Workforce Curriculum Training Conference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) developing the competency examinations?
NOVA was awarded the grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to develop examinations supporting the six identified job roles. NOVA and AHIMA, along with educators, healthcare practitioners, and IT professionals, will define the competency areas that will guide test development.
How were the six job roles determined?
The six roles were defined by educators and other industry leaders to reflect the future of electronic health record management.
Why should health care and information technology professionals take these examinations?
As the American healthcare system moves towards more unified and consistent electronic medical records (EMR), skilled professionals will be needed to implement and manage the systems that will be required. These examinations will assess the competency of individuals, demonstrating they have the needed skills.
When will the examinations be administered?
The current schedule calls for the first exams to be given in the spring of 2011.
How can I participate in developing the examinations?
NOVA and AHIMA are seeking health information technology professionals to help develop these examinations. For full details, please read the Job Roles and Subject Matter Expert Responsibilities and complete the Subject Matter Expert Interest Form.
This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, under Award Number FAO-OC-HIT-10-002.