An NCRA-accredited Formal Education Program

The Cancer Registry Management program is a series of online courses designed for individuals interested in entering the cancer registry profession. Cancer registrars possess the clinical and technical knowledge and skills necessary to maintain components of the disease-related data collection systems consistent with medical, administrative, ethical, legal, and accreditation requirements of the health care delivery system.

In all types of facilities, and in various locations within a facility, cancer registrars manage and analyze clinical cancer information for the purpose of processing, maintaining, compiling and reporting health information. This information is used for research, quality management and improvement, facility planning and marketing, monitoring patient outcomes, cancer program development, cancer prevention and surveillance, survival data, compliance of reporting standards, evaluation of the results of treatment, and national accreditation standards.

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) developed the Cancer Registry Management Program in a collaborative partnership with the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) to enhance learning opportunities for burgeoning cancer registrars, and to help students become eligible to sit for NCRA's Cancer Tumor Registrar (CTR) certification exam under Route A Eligibility.  

The full program consists of six specialty courses. The online classes in this program are open enrollment, can be started at any time, and are self-paced. In addition to the specialty courses, there are also four prerequisite courses as below:

• CTR Certification
• Credits
• Program Steps

Certified Tumor Registrar Certification Candidates

The three requirements under Eligibility Route A are:

1. Cancer Registry Education: Successful completion of an NCRA-accredited Cancer Registry Management Formal Education Program
2. College Education: Successful completion of a minimum of an Associate ’s degree or equivalent (60+ college-level credits)
3. Experience: Successful completion of 160 hours of work practicum in a CTR-staffed Cancer Registry

For a list of NCRA-accredited formal education programs, including this program, visit www.ncra-usa.org/education/formal.htm.

For complete information on the NCRA's CTR exam, and to obtain the CTR brochure and Exam Candidate's Handbook and Application, visit www.ctrexam.org. Be sure to take note of any upcoming changes in exam eligibility requirements.

For those students already working in the Cancer Registry field, Route B requires two semesters of Anatomy and Physiology (A&P). AHIMA’s A&P course satisfies the semester 1 requirements, while our Pathophysiology and Pharmacology course satisfies the semester 2 requirement.

For the benefit of our Cancer Registry Management students, AHIMA Online Education participates in the American Council on Education's (ACE) Transcript Service. The ACE Transcript Service offers a lifelong record for students who have successfully completed the courses that have been reviewed by ACE CREDIT. This service enables adult learners to present a nationally recognized transcript to the college or university of their choice for the potential award of academic credit.

Students may register with ACE any Cancer Registry Management specialty courses completed, as well as the prerequisite courses. Courses must be successfully completed February 1, 2012, or later, to qualify. All of a student's ACE-evaluated courses are shown on one transcript with easy-to-read descriptions, credit recommendations, and suggested transfer areas. Upon request, the transcript can be released at any time to a college of the student's choice. To join the ACE Transcript Service, students must pay a one-time set-up fee of $40. Each release of a transcript request incurs a $15 fee.

• Get more info on ACE transcript services.
• View a list of credits recommended for individual prerequisite courses

Transfer of credit is determined by the receiving institution.

Step 1: Review Program Information

Thoroughly review all of the Cancer Registry Management program information to ensure student understanding of the prerequisites, requirements, scope of the program, and how the program works. If your questions are not addressed here, review the Frequently Asked Questions for this program.

Step 2: Complete the CRM Prerequisite Form

All prospective students in the CRM program must complete a CRM Prerequisite Form online. This form provides AHIMA with important information on how you previously completed the program prerequisites or how you plan to complete them. Submitting this form also establishes your record in our CRM Prerequisite Database, where we match incoming transcripts and track prerequisite completions. You need to complete this form only once, after which you will receive an e-mail confirmation with additional details and instructions. This form is submitted at no cost or further obligation.

Step 3: Send proof of prerequisite completion

Prerequisites can be waived in one of three ways:

• If you previously completed some or all of your prerequisites at the college level with grades of "C" or better, then you should contact the school(s) to arrange to have official transcripts sent directly to AHIMA.
• Provide a copy of your physician or nursing license to waive all prerequisities except Computer Basics in Healthcare.
• If you hold an RHIA or an RHIT credential, no transcript or license submission in required.

Specific instructions on how to submit prerequisite proof will be sent to you via e-mail immediately after you complete the CRM Prerequisite Form.

Step 4: Register for outstanding prerequisites

If you have not completed all four prerequisites at the college level with grades of "C" or better, you may start the AHIMA CRM program by registering for the prerequisites.

Step 5: Register for specialty courses

After you complete the prerequisites, register online for the specialty courses.   

The Cancer Registry Management program requires the completion of four prerequisite courses, which must be completed prior to enrolling in the Cancer Registry Management specialty courses.

The four prerequisite courses can be taken with AHIMA, or students can submit transcripts from other programs to meet this requirement. Human Anatomy and Physiology is offered as an independent course only, while the other three prerequisite courses can be purchased as a bundle with a cost savings of $125.

Human Anatomy and Physiology

This course familiarizes the student with basic concepts of human anatomy and physiology. At the conclusion of this course, the student will demonstrate a basic knowledge of the structure and function of the various parts of the body, as well as the terminology for identifying cells, tissues, organ systems and body parts.

Topics include the language of medicine, organization of the body, cellular foundations, and tissues and membranes. The body systems covered include skeletal, muscular, integumentary, cardiovascular, lymphatic and immune, respiratory, nervous, sensory, endocrine, gastrointestinal, urinary, and reproductive.

Registration Fee: $225 AHIMA members and nonmembers
Register 

Cluster Registration: Three Prerequisite Courses

• Computer Basics in Healthcare
• Medical Terminology
• Pathophysiology/Pharmacology

Save $125 when you register for the 3-course cluster!
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Individual Course Registration

Computer Basics in Healthcare

This course offers a general overview of computers and the Internet and the role each has played in healthcare and will play in the future. Students will learn the basics of hardware and software and will gain a general understanding of the most commonly used applications. Online tools used by AHIMA, such as the Communities of Practice and the Body of Knowledge, will be explored, as well as the various applications used in the teaching of online courses. Click here for required books.

Register

Medical Terminology

This course teaches students how to break medical terms into prefixes, suffixes and roots, and become familiar with the spelling and definition of common medical terms related to major disease processes, diagnostic procedures, laboratory tests, abbreviations, drugs, and treatment modalities. Click here for required books.

Register

Pathophysiology/Pharmacology

This course emphasizes the disease processes affecting the human body via an integrated approach to specific disease entities including the study of causes, diagnosis and treatment of disease, and an understanding of the basic principles of pharmacology. Click here for required books.

Register

Please review the steps located in the overview to ensure a postive experience.

AHIMA’s Cancer Registry Management program consists of six (6) specialty courses - the first three of the 6 specialty courses are grouped under Specialty Cluster 1 and the last three courses are grouped under Specialty Cluster 2 - described below.

Once a student activates a course, it is open to the student for a limited period of time (the 15-week ‘valid period’). Students can access the course 24 hours per day during that time. Courses require at least 8 to 10 hours of study time per week.

Registration Options:

Register for courses separately, or receive a discount by registering for a full cluster at once. Required textbooks must be purchased separately.

Note: Required textbooks are not included with course registration, and must be purchased separately.

Required textbooks must be purchased separately by the student, and are not included in the price of the course. Required textbooks should be available prior to starting the associated course(s), and can be purchased wherever available. Be sure to purchase books with the exact ISBN numbers listed.

Course Completion Sequence

Prerequisite requirements must be satisfied before starting Cancer Registry Management specialty courses.

Many of the cancer registry management concepts and principles are cumulative, which means the knowledge gained in one course will be needed to successfully complete the next course. For that reason, it is strongly recommended that students complete the specialty courses in the exact sequence as described on the Specialty Courses tab.

Course Activation/Classes Begin

This open-enrollment program consists of online, self-paced courses. Once registration is processed, verification is sent to students via e-mail.  Registrations received online and paid with a major credit card are immediately processed. Registrations paid by check or purchase order are processed upon receipt of full payment.

• All specialty course registrations are subject to prerequisite verification.
• After registering, students need to log in to their course or cluster, and "Request Course Activation."
• Students then must wait up to 3 business days for their course or cluster to be activated. Once we send activation approval, students can activate individual courses within a cluster at their own pace.

Cluster Timing

Students  enrolled in a three-course cluster will have a 15-week period in which to activate all three courses — known as the course activation period. When an individual course is activated, it must be completed within 15 weeks* — known as the course valid period.  Students who register for full clusters should activate their courses one at a time, staggering the start dates in order to begin each course during the 15-week activation period. See the course activation example below.

*Note: These are self-paced courses; therefore, each individual course may be completed in fewer than 15 weeks.