Credentialing Programs

Becoming a Registered or Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS or CHDS) is not a legal or regulatory requirement; however, it is a distinction looked upon favorably by many individuals and employers in the healthcare industry. To earn the Registered or Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist distinction requires an individual to graduate from an AHDI-approved Healthcare Documentation Specialist (MT) Training Program and successfully pass the RHDS or CHDS certification exam.

Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialists (RHDS)

The RHDS, formerly known as the Registered Medical Transcriptionist or RMT credential, is the entry-level credential offered by AHDI. It tests the skills and abilities of healthcare documentation specialists (medical transcriptionists) with less than two years of acute care or multi-specialty clinic experience. The Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialist (RHDS) exam is based on the AHDI Medical Transcriptionist Job Description and the competencies outlined in the AHDI Core Competencies and the AHDI Model Curriculum. It is a voluntary credentialing exam for individuals who wish to become Registered Healthcare Documentation Specialists. The RHDS exam is designed to assess competency in healthcare documentation by determining if a candidate has the core knowledge and skills needed to practice healthcare documentation effectively in today’s healthcare environment.

The AHDPG Healthcare Documentation Specialist (HDS) Credentialing Prep Course will prepare students to sit for AHDI’s RHDS exam.

Note: This course assumes prior completion of a medical transcription/healthcare documentation training program or significant workplace experience in this field. 

Click here if you seek information on our AHDI-approved Healthcare Documentation Specialist Online Training Program.

Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialists (CHDS)

The CHDS, formerly known as the Certified Medical Transcriptionist or CMT credential, is the credential offered by AHDI. It tests the skills and abilities of healthcare documentation specialists (medical transcriptionists) who possess a minimum of two years of acute care or multi-specialty clinic experience. The AHDPG Healthcare Documentation Specialist (HDS) Credentialing Prep course will prepare students to sit for AHDI’s CHDS exam.

The Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist (CHDS) exam is based on the AHDI Medical Transcriptionist Job Description and the competencies outlined in the AHDI Core Competencies and the AHDI Model Curriculum. It is a voluntary credentialing exam for individuals who wish to become Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialists. The CHDS exam is designed to assess competency in healthcare documentation by determining if a candidate has the core knowledge and skills needed to practice healthcare documentation effectively in a multi-specialty acute care facility, where variable specialties, document types, and difficulty of dictation necessitate an advanced level of clinical knowledge and interpretive ability.

The AHDPG Healthcare Documentation Specialist (HDS) Credentialing Prep Course will prepare students to sit for AHDI’s CHDS exam.

HDS Credentialing Prep Course

If you are studying to take the RHDS, CHDS, or both elements and you would like to brush up on your knowledge, this course is for you!

You will have access to presentations and study guides for each specialty, online testing, transcription practice materials, as well as access to our “practice exam” to test your knowledge and help you prepare for the exam environment. Topics reviewed include medico-legal fundamentals, grammar and punctuation, gastroenterology, urology, cardiology, pulmonology, neurology, otorhinolaryngology, orthopedics, endocrinology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, ophthalmology, dermatology, oncology/hematology, and progressive healthcare record/technology education. You will have access to the prep course for 15 weeks, with additional access to review the practice exam content after course completion.

The following two textbooks are required for the course (not included in tuition):

If a student does not already own these textbooks, they should go ahead and order them to arrive before registering for the course.

Tuition for the course is $329.00

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