What Is a CDIP and How to Become One

By ZipRecruiter Marketplace Research Team

A CDIP certificate, or Certified Document Improvement Practitioner certificate, is a designation that shows you have met all the qualifications set by the Commission on Certification for Health Informatics and Information Management (CCHIIM) and passed the CDIP exam. This certification confirms your mastery of skills in healthcare record management. Those who earn the credential have medical billing experience, understand medical codes and policies, possess other credentials in the field, and desire to advance their health care careers. Employers often view the credential as a sign of capability and commitment to a high standard of care. All medical professionals, from nurses and doctors to medical billers and coders, can apply for CDIP certification.

A CDIP certification can help your career in medical coding or medical records review because it shows you are competent in clinical documentation. A CDIP certification is not a degree or educational program; you earn it by passing an examination that tests your current knowledge on standards of care, medical codes, and technical skills in the patient medical records review field. While you can qualify for an entry-level medical billing, coding, or similar job without a CDIP certificate, employers value this certification and may give certified employees more responsibilities or move them into more advanced positions sooner than uncertified staff.

To be eligible for CDIP certification, you must first earn an associate or bachelor's degree. You also need at least three years of clinical documentation integrity experience (CDI) and coursework in medical terminology, and anatomy, and physiology. Those with an AHIMA certification (RHIA, RHIT, CCS, or CCS-P) or a medical degree (RN, MD, or DO) only need two years of experience in CDI. Once you have met the qualifications, you must apply for the exam, pay a fee, schedule to sit the test within four months of acceptance, and pass the exam to earn CDIP certification. The examination and corresponding certificate are only available through the American Health Information Management Association.