Changes in AHDI Recredentialing Policies
Yesterday I received an email from AHDI that outlines the upcoming changes in the policies related to the recredentialing process. It is a topic worth some discussion here so I am sharing it with all of you so you can plan for your future education activities.
If you have been following things with credentialing, you know that the credentialing process is undergoing some changes. New exam blueprints are due out later this year and we will watch to see what changes that will bring and keep you updated. Here’s an excerpt from the email from AHDI:
In addition to revisions being made to our CMT and RMT exam blueprints and exams (to be launched later this year), the CDT has evaluated our current recredentialing policies for CMTs and made the following recommendations and clarifications:
1. CEC approval for Level II content only. Effective June 30, 2010, AHDI will no longer extend CEC approval to any content that does not meet our “level II or above” criteria for continuing education. This means that the following content areas will no longer be approved for CECs:
- Textbooks, workbooks, or practical application resources used in basic MT training by schools and educational institutions
- CMT or RMT prep courses
- CMT or RMT prep materials � including workbooks, quizzes, or electronic products
- Presentations (national, state/regional, or local) not deemed to provide level II content
- Articles (in any industry publication) not deemed to provide level II content
Note: Level II content will be defined as content that professionally develops a CMT toward greater acute-care clinical knowledge, advanced technology training, or any other content that develops a CMT beyond the core knowledge required to become an MT, earn an RMT, or sit for the CMT exam. For example, the anatomy and physiology book or course offered to an MT in school would not be approved for CECs but a college level anatomy and physiology course with chemistry and lab would still be credit-worthy as advanced training for CMTs. Where uncertain about credit-worthiness of any product or presentation, we recommend you continue to submit these for approval so that they can be evaluated for applicability.
CECs earned from any of the above sources prior to June 30, 2010, can be submitted at end of cycle. Those earned after this date will not be accepted.
Products and programs that fall under the definitions listed above will no longer be approved after June 30, 2010. Schools and vendors cannot continue to market those products, services, and courses as credit-worthy for CMTs after that date.
2. Maximum of 10 CECs per activity. The current recredentialing policy states that a maximum of 10 CECs can be earned from a single activity in any given cycle. Our updated policy will clarify that “10″ refers to the total number of CECs that can be earned from a single activity and not to 10 per category. For the purposes of definition, “activity” means “source,” and AHDI will accept no more than 10 CECs from a single source in a given cycle. This includes a college-credit course, online course, or workbooks approved for credit. Symposia, conferences, and periodicals represent sources of variable and diverse content from which CMTs can continue to earn as many credits as they need and upon which no restriction of credits is being imposed.
Rationale: It is the goal of our credentialing program to ensure that those credentialed under CMT status are engaging in diverse, well-rounded continuing education across a broad spectrum of resources and information that meet our “level II or above” criteria.
This does represent some changes for those MTs who are credentialed. I’ve heard many discussions in the past wondering why something that appeared to be very basic was actually approved for credit and how that really provided “continuing” education for MTs. It seems this might answer that question and take care of it. The goal of ongoing education is to be sure that we are staying current with the changes in our industry.
You will note above, as well, that credentials prep courses will no longer be approved for credit. Those who are long time readers here will recall we made that announcement when we started our credentials study course as we were told when we applied for credit that this would be changing. Note, too, that this is effective June 10, 2010, so if you have some of this type of credits to do, you can still count them until that time.
I am interested in your thoughts here. Is this a good thing for our industry? Does it elevate the level of our credential? And, as with our discussion about the future, does it better prepare us for the future?
Related posts:
- New AHDI Medical Transcription Credentialing Exams
- AHDI Meeting Wrap Up
- Medical Transcription Credentialing: AHDI Transition Plan
- AHDI Meeting: House of Delegates, Day One
- Medical Transcription Credentialing
Tagged with: Certified Medical Transcriptionist • CMT • Credentialing • medical transcription • Registered Medical Transcriptionist • RMT
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Maybe I wasn’t paying attention, but this is all news to me. The criteria for “Level I” and “Level II” are probably somewhere on the web site, but I can never find anything there. Excluding review sessions of basic information from partial credit does not seem right. We each have different data sets in our heads, and no one can remember everything. What might seem very basic to one could be a reveleation to another. I think the all-or-nothing approach to creditworthiness is not in the best interest of AHDI members.
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Kathy Reply:
May 12th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
The email just came out last night. It does define Level II as: “Level II content will be defined as content that professionally develops a CMT toward greater acute-care clinical knowledge, advanced technology training, or any other content that develops a CMT beyond the core knowledge required to become an MT, earn an RMT, or sit for the CMT exam.” I believe the idea is that the things that will be approved for CEs are those that go beyond what is basic required knowledge. It will be interesting to see how things progress. I did get get approval for the HIPAA/HITECH training that will soon be offered on HIPAA4MT so that fits into things!
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Kathy Reply:
May 12th, 2010 at 5:18 pm
The email just came out last night. It does define Level II as: “Level II content will be defined as content that professionally develops a CMT toward greater acute-care clinical knowledge, advanced technology training, or any other content that develops a CMT beyond the core knowledge required to become an MT, earn an RMT, or sit for the CMT exam.” I believe the idea is that the things that will be approved for CEs are those that go beyond what is basic required knowledge. It will be interesting to see how things progress. I did get get approval for the HIPAA/HITECH training that will soon be offered on HIPAA4MT so that fits into things!
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I also got the email, but haven’t formed an opinion yet until I figure out how it affects me. It is of great interest, though, since my first CMT renewal is coming up this November.
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Kathy Reply:
May 12th, 2010 at 5:20 pm
I think many of the things folks have done like the meetings and symposia will still fit, at least it appears that way. What will change are things like the basic terminology challenge questions and such, including some that we have done here. After June 10, those will no longer be considered credit-worthy. And HOORAY for you coming to your first renewal!
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This is news to me as well. Who was supposed to get this email? If it was supposed to go to all CMTs I would say we sort of missed more than just a few of them.
I can’t say I particularly mind being told CEC’s must meet some sort of level of creditworthiness. I would think the method and timeliness of communicating this change does leave a whole lot to be desired though.
I guess I would have to point out that the bulk of printed information and seminar presentations I can lay my hands on right now are overwhelmingly of a level 1 nature (by the definition given above), so I would have to ask where CMTs are supposed to locate enough level 2 CECs to meet the required CECs for renewal? Unless, of course, someone is developing a whole series of pay-for-the-CEC programs that just happen to be “pre-approved level 2.”
I have never seen that designation “level II or above” before, does anyone know what in the world qualifies for the “above” category … from the letter Kathy quoted … “CEC approval to any content that does not meet our “level II or above” criteria”
Is this good for the industry? Since we are hard pressed to find employers/clients that do much more than pay lip service to notion of credentialing as it is I can’t see that “how” we are required to go about renewing is going to have much industry impact.
Nae
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Kathy Reply:
May 16th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
I’m really not sure who the e-mail went to and I guess I assumed it went to all CMTs since that is who it pertains to. The only definition I found on level 2 is the one posted here. I believe the level designations may be something new, but I sure can’t say that for sure.
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Sorry Kathy, but you seemed to be only AHDI person discussing this topic (or has even brought it up publicly anywhere that I have looked through this morning), so you ended up getting the questions and you did ask for discussion
I know my questions were a bit more practical minded than the overall industry impact question you asked, but failing discussion of this topic anywhere else I thought it was worth the chance that you might know if the practicalities of this one had been discussed at all
I did locate a CMT newsletter from March of this year that I had saved (just a couple of months ago I would point out) that doesn’t even mention this change at all. You know me well enough to know what I think of that sort of time line for member communication
Nae
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Kathy Reply:
May 17th, 2010 at 10:36 am
Nae, comments and questions are always welcome, you know that! First, though, let me be really clear that I didn’t post this as anything “official” from AHDI. I got the email and felt it was a topic that was worthy of discussion here because it impacts those CMTs who subscribe. I’m not really sure who the email went to, it was a part of a blast email I received. As I understand it, the committee that works on credentialing has been discussing these changes and that’s where it comes from. I do think we need clear guidelines of what fits in what category so that it’s clear for everyone going forward. I don’t think elevating the level of what is “recredentialing” credits is a bad thing, and in fact, can think of times in the past when AHDI was criticized for awarding credit to things that folks didn’t feel were credit-worthy, so in the long run, it’s probably a good thing.
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You’re right, I should have worded that differently
I guess my fingers still subconciously make you AHDI because for so many years you were such an integral part of the group’s leadership even though my brain knows you really don’t serve in those capacities any more 
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