The Why, When, and How of Earning the RHDS Credential

Kristin Wall, CHDS, AHDI-F Senior Programs Coordinator & Editor, AHDI

On the Agenda…

• Importance of credentialing

• Benefits of being credentialed

• Exam development and oversight

• Renaming the credentials

• Exam overview and logistics

• RHDS exam blue print

• Candidate Guide and exam day guidelines

• Tips, common mistakes, and examples

• Resources & exam cost

• Q&A

Why Credentialing?

• Patients and Healthcare Providers Depend on You

• Benchmarks and standards assess job readiness

• Credentials are highly valued in health care

• Demonstrate training in and knowledge of HIPAA compliance standards

• Employers prefer hiring credentialed professionals

• New graduates more likely to become employed sooner

• Historically, HDSs make higher salaries (ADVANCE for HIM)

Benefits of Being Credentialed

• Have more self-confidence, take more pride in work

• Stand out against the crowd

• Shows commitment to your chosen profession

• Seen as a professional and a valued member of the healthcare team

• Shown respect, opinion sought out

• Demonstrates training in HIPAA compliance, privacy and security

• Earn better wage/salary, reimbursement of exam and CECs

• Learn and build knowledge and skills ongoing through continuing education opportunities

Exam Development and Provider

Exams were developed with Certification Management Services (CMS), an independent test development and psychometric analysis consulting company

Exams delivered by Kryterion, a full-service test development and delivery company using the Webassessorplatform

Credentialing Commission

AHDI’s Credentialing Commission for Healthcare Documentation (CCHD)• Representative group of RHDS, CMT, CHDS, and industry content

experts.

• Trained to develop and review test questions and materials before they are used on exams to ensure relevancy and accuracy.

• Provide the job-related perspective that underlies valid exams.

• Maintain responsibility for determining the exam content outline and test specifications, maintain an item bank of approved test items, approve the individual tests for administration, and with psychometric guidance, set the passing score for successful achievement.

Renaming the Credentials

• RMT and CMT exams launched via Kryterion platform in 2011, along with new Blue Prints outlining objectives

• RHDS and CHDS Blue Prints have not changed since 2011 launch, just renamed

• Prep products and study materials are RHDS Ready and CHDS Ready

Credentialing Exam Overview

• AHDI offers two voluntary credentials for healthcare documentation practitioners:– Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS) – Level 1

– Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist (CHDS) – Level 2

• AHDI offers three exam options for earning these credentials:– RHDS Exam – Level 1

– CHDS Exam – Level 2

– Credential Qualifying Exam (CQE) – both Level 1 & Level 2 in the same exam session – NOTE: CQE Offered at Onsite Test Centers only

Online Proctoring (OLP)

Online proctoring will require the candidate to:

• Use a compatible PC that meets Kryterion’s specifications.

• Use a compatible external webcam that meets Kryterion’sspecifications.

• Take the exam in a quiet, private place without interruptions or other people in the room (unless special arrangements for group testing have been made).

• Have a consistent and reliable high-speed Internet connection.

• Provide proof of identity via pre-test webcam photo and test-day government-issued photo ID (or equivalent if not in the US).

• Clear your desk (not an open-book exam)

• Pay attention to where your eyes are looking and not moving your mouth.

Onsite Testing

• You must bring:– a government-issued photo ID that has

your same name as that on your profile

– a headset; this is not provided for you

• Do not bring:– Keyboard, mouse, foot pedal, chair,

papers, books/resources, etc.; they are not allowed

• Special accommodations may be made ahead of time if you have a disability

• Arrive 10 – 15 minutes before your exam time to check in and get situated before the exam begins

Sign Up for an Exam

• AHDI website > Certification (https://ahdionline.site-ym.com/?page=cert)

– Submit eligibility and pay eligibility fee for exam you are taking

– Receive Authorization-to-Test (ATT) letter

– Follow instructions on ATT letter to go to Webassessor website, log in, schedule your exam and pay fee, capture photo for ID purposes if doing OLP.

– (OLP) Review tech requirements to be sure you have the correct webcam, computer capabilities, etc.

– (Onsite) Review instructions in Candidate Guide (photo ID, etc.)

• Prepare for Your Exam (https://ahdionline.site-ym.com/?page=examprep)

– Blue prints, resources, study group info, etc.

• Take RHDS Practice Exam (https://ahdionline.site-ym.com/?page=practiceexams)

Eligibility – RHDS

Who should take this exam?• MTs/HDSs who are recent graduates of medical

transcription/healthcare documentation education programs

• MTs/HDSs with fewer than 2 years’ experience in acute care

• MTs/HDSs working in a single-specialty environment (i.e., private practice, clinic, radiology, pathology, etc.)

• CHDS candidates who do not already possess an RHDS credential (can take RHDS alone or opt to take the CQE exam)

RHDS Exam Format

130 questions in a 3-hour timed exam session

• Part 1: Cognitive Assessment– Multiple-choice questions assess understanding and

recognition of core concepts, terms, and standards

• Part 2: Transcription Against Audio– Given an audio excerpt and transcribed text, fill in the

blank(s) representing omitted information

RHDS Section 1: Transcription Styles and Standards

Questions in this section will assess the candidate’s understanding of the sections addressed in The Book of Style for Medical Transcription, 3rd edition, deemed to be level 1 concepts necessary for job readiness.

Medical record types, formats, and TATs

Rules and standards for editing Health record privacy and security Grammar Usage Punctuation Capitalization Plurals and possessives Abbreviations Numbers Percents, proportions, ratios, and

ranges Units of Measure

RHDS Section 2: Clinical Medicine

Questions in this section will assess the candidate’s understanding of clinical terms, definitions, standards, and processes deemed to be level 1 concepts necessary for job readiness.

Medical terminologyAnatomyPhysiologyDisease processesDiagnostics – laboratory

medicine, imaging, classification systems

Treatment – pharmacology, surgery

RHDS Section 3: Health Information Technology

Questions in this section will assess the candidate’s understanding of technology terms and definitions deemed to be level 1 concepts necessary for job readiness.

Computers – hardware, software, basic terminology

Healthcare technology –abbreviations, definitions

Transcription technology –abbreviations, definitions

RHDS Specialties

Clinical medicine questions will be limited to the following clinical specialties:

Alternative Medicine, Cardiovascular, Ophthalmology, Chiropractic, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, General Surgery, Hematology/Oncology, Infectious Disease, Neurology, OB/Gyn, Orthopedics, Otorhinolaryngology, Pediatrics, Physical/ Rehab Medicine, Psychiatry/Psychology, Pulmonary Medicine, Urology

CHDS Exam and Blue Print

• Level 2: Greater than 2 years’ experience in acute care or equivalent

• 120 questions, multiple-choice, transcription against audio, and SRT Editing against audio

• Content focused on Clinical Medicine, and Health Info Technology (still need to know all that applies to level 1)

• Allowed 3 hours• Ability to mark questions for review• Immediate results

Where Do I Start?

• Prepare well

• Seek eligibility

• Register for a test date/time

• Follow all pre-test instructions

• Credentialing Practice Test

• Questions? Contact AHDI.

What’s Allowed on Exam Day?

• Equipment (OLP): You can use your own desk, monitor, keyboard, mouse and other equipment related to your computer. You may also use a headset, if you prefer, especially for the audio portions of the exam. It is highly recommended that you do not attempt the exam from a wireless connection.

• Food/Drink: You will be allowed to have a beverage in a clear, unmarked container or water bottle. No other food, drinks, or snacks will be allowed on your desk.

• Resources: No reference materials, text books, dictionaries, or other resources will be allowed on your desk at any time nor can they be accessed from your computer.

Candidate Guide

• Full details included in the Candidate Guide– Read RHDS section “cover to cover”

• Sample questions

• Do’s and Don’ts

• Frequently Asked Questions

• Tech requirements

Tips for Success• Know and understand the exam blue print for the test

you are taking• Separate work/client-specific protocols from exam

protocols (read Candidate Guide, read exam instructions, know BOS3e rules and standards)

• Review your answers before submitting your exam if you have extra time, but don’t second guess yourself (usually your first instinct is correct!)

• Practice without using word expanders or spellchecker− English and medical word spelling errors

• Be familiar with medication spelling and capitalization (brand vs. generic)

− Top 100 drugs on reputable drug sites may be helpful

Tips for Success

Transcription against audio:• Do NOT include words or phrases already provided in the

test; transcribe only the info that is missing.• Do NOT add commas or periods – those have all been

provided for fill-in-the-blank questions.

• Do NOT include a space, tab, indent, or other hidden character at the end of your response.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• DO include hyphens, percent signs, virgules, and other symbols if they should be included

• DO capitalize the first word of your response if it represents the first word of a sentence or is a word that would require capitalization within the sentence

Decimal Examples

(Audio) The patient’s specific gravity is ten thirty.

(On-screen) The patient’s specific gravity is ________.

(Answer) 1.030

(Audio) The patient’s medications include xanax point two five milligrams every six hours as needed.

(On-screen) The patient’s medications include ____________ every 6 hours as needed.

(Answer) Xanax 0.25 mg

RHDS Examples• Objective 1.21

– For body parts in twos commonly dictated together, apply appropriate plural form (vertebrae, conjunctivae, irides, etc.) or the appropriate singular form if left or right is dictated (labium, calculus, calvaria NOT calvarium, etc.)

• Objective 2.6/2.7 – Abbreviations – know meaning of abbreviation, know what specialty that

abbreviation is related to. If it is an abbreviation for a lab test or diagnostic study, know what the abbreviation stands for, what the test is for, what system or conditions it may relate to or is used to help identify – and how to spell them! (CT scan, MRI, EEG, EMG, EKG, types of dyes used, etc.)

– What does LFTs stand for, what’s included in that panel, what are the normal ranges for each of those tests, is there a particular way a test should be transcribed? (D-dimer, BiPAP, PEEP, Pap smear, etc.)

• Objective 2.15– Pharmacology – know brand vs generic, how to spell, what drug is used to treat

and the body system it relates to. Know pharm category (antibacterial, proton pump inhibitor, narcotic, acetaminophen, ACE inhibitor, antifungal, etc.)

CHDS Example – Multiple ChoiceObjective 1.26: Given surgical equipment or a surgical instrument, identify the procedure with which it is associated.

EXAMPLEA Mayfield holder would be used in what type of surgery?A. abdominalB. thoracicC. cardiacD. cranial

Answer: D - cranial

CHDS ExampleTranscription Against Audio

Objective 1.10: Given an audio excerpt containing a pharmacology term, correctly transcribe the excerpt, or given an excerpt with transcribed text, fill in the blank(s) representing omitted information. EXAMPLE:

(Audio) this elderly male has a history of hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia and takes zestril five milligrams, metformin five hundred milligrams b i d, glyburide five milligrams once daily, and zocor twenty mikes, er, milligrams a day

(On screen) This elderly male has a history of hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia and takes __________ 5 mg, __________, ____________ 5 mg once daily, and __________.

(Answers) Zestrilmetformin 500 mg b.i.d.glyburideZocor 20 mg a day

CHDS Example Speech Recognition

Objective 2.6: Given audio and SRT draft text, identify area(s) that require editing or modification for accuracy.

EXAMPLE(on screen) The common fascial vein was ligated with 3-0 silk sutures.

(audio) The common fascial vein was ligated with 3-0 silk sutures.

(answer) facial

Tips for Success

Exam based on “The Book of Style for Medical Transcription, 3rd edition”

– Read cover to cover•Capitalization

•Numbers

•Classifications

•Style and Grammar

•Etc.

Most Common Mistakes

• Misspelled words (medical and English)

• Missing or wrong words (unknown, not heard, or misunderstood)

• Hyphenation issues

• Capitalization issues (meds, specialties)

• Numbers (roman vs arabic)

• Classifications

• Not reading and following instructions

Invest in Yourself

Invest in Yourself

Student Membership Benefits

Access to OWLS Academy

Access to Plexus e-magazine

Special member pricing on products in the AHDI Store

Special member pricing on credentialing exams and prep materials

Special member pricing to attend the annual conference

Access to the member directory

Eligible to participate in annual essay contest for a chance to win the Rising Star Award

Membership Matters and Resource Central e-newsletters and AHDI Health Record Integrity eBrief in your Inbox

Discounts on select vendor products, such as Dell, Stedman’s, and Mercer insurance programs

Access to the Professional Practices Help Desk

Free stuff!

Invest in Resources

RHDS Study Courses

• Offered by AHDI– Courses run each month, registration closes by the

25th of the month preceding the month you want to start

– 12-week study course delivered on the AHDI Moodle platform

– Self-paced and flexible with your schedule

– Required text books

– Register on AHDI website

Free Resources for Members

Quick links to jump to each page are found at the top of each dedicated page.

Each resource is listed in a larger, bolded title font, with details in a smaller font below it.

Web links show up in green throughout our website for easy access to more information.

Cost of Exams

RHDS EXAMOnsite (member): $150

Onsite exam (nonmember): $230

Online proctored (member): $100

Online proctored (nonmember): $180

CHDS EXAMOnsite (member): $200

Onsite exam (nonmember): $280

Online proctored (member): $150

Online proctored (nonmember): $230

Cost of CQE Exam

CQE EXAM

Onsite (member): $275

Onsite exam (nonmember): $355

• The CQE is a 5-hour exam so candidates who need the 3-hour time allowance for the RHDS exam should take the RHDS separately.

• The CQE is only offered onsite at a testing facility, not as an online proctored exam (OLP).

For More Information…

• AHDI Website www.ahdionline.org

• Click on Certification

• Download Credentialing Candidate Guide

Are you ready?

Questions?

THANK YOU AND BEST WISHES ON YOUR EXAM!

Credentialing questions: Credentialing@ahdionline.org

Professional Practice questions:

ProfessionalPractices@ahdionline.org

Tina Wilson – twilson@ahdionline.org

Kristin Wall – kwall@ahdionline.org