HIMSS Certifications: What You Need to Know

Earning and maintaining a professional certification is not only a hallmark of a quickly evolving field, but it’s also a pathway to expanding and diversifying industry knowledge for early careerists and those with proven expertise and commitment to the field. HIMSS professional certifications provide a steppingstone into the health information and technology industry and serve as a roadmap for more seasoned professionals. Currently, HIMSS offers four certifications:

• CAHIMS – Certified Associate in Healthcare Information and Management Systems
• CPHIMS – Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems
• CPHIMS-CA – Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems – Canada
• CPDHTS – Certified Professional in Digital Health Transformation Strategy

The CAHIMS, CPHIMS and CPHIMS-CA span four main content areas:

• General IT and healthcare environment knowledge
• Clinical informatics
• Systems knowledge related to analysis, design, selection, implementation, testing and evaluation, and privacy and security
• Management and leadership

The CPDHTS, HIMSS newest professional certification program, also spans four main content areas, but shifts its focus to:

• Digital health ecosystems, including privacy and security, emerging technology, applied artificial intelligence and machine learning, digital infrastructure and interoperability and digital maturity assessment
• Person-enabled health focused on population health, citizen driven informatics, virtual health care delivery, and patient-generated data and consumer perception
• Measurement and improvement addressing data science, business intelligence and analytics, clinical outcomes, stakeholder satisfaction, compliance, economics, program planning, and sustainability
• Strategy, governance and organizational management with a focus on operational management, policy, regulation, legislation and ethics, leadership, strategy, health equity and inclusion

Anyone meeting the eligibility requirements can participate in HIMSS’ certification programs and exams; membership is not a requirement (though if you are not already, we highly encourage you to become a member to gain expanded access to valuable learning tools).

CAHIMS Certification

The CAHIMS certification is an internationally-recognized designation for students, early careerists, those transitioning into the healthcare information and technology industry, as well as many others who are looking to  establish a solid foundation for continued career knowledge, growth, advancement and to demonstrate professional proficiency. By earning the CAHIMS, certificants demonstrates their commitment to continuing professional development as they grow and acquire more experience in the health ecosystem.

The entry-level certification program requires a candidate to:

• Hold a high school diploma or equivalent AND have at least 45 hours of continuing education in healthcare information technology, digital health or informatics, specifically covering content found on the CAHIMS Outline of Exam Topics or 150 hours experience in any type of IT and healthcare setting or role (volunteer, practicum/internship, work).

OR

• Hold an associate, bachelor or advanced degree from an accredited college or university AND have at least 25 hours of continuing education in healthcare information technology, digital health or informatics, specifically covering content found on the CAHIMS Outline of Exam Topics or 75 hours experience in any type of IT and healthcare setting or role (volunteer, practicum/internship, work).

What the demographics look like: Active CAHIMS certificants possess a wide variety of job roles across the industry, including analysts, consultants, nurses, chief information officers and more. Most work in hospital settings (35%), but CAHIMS certificants also come from a wide variety of settings including academic medical centers, educational institutions, healthcare consulting firms and vendor companies.

CPHIMS and CPHIMS-CA

The CPHIMS designation is an internationally recognized professional certification program designed for experienced professionals who want to remain knowledgeable and competitive in the industry. The CPHIMS designation acknowledges and honors the proven expertise and commitment of those who have earned this credential. Those who achieve the CPHIMS exhibit an international standard of professional knowledge and competence in healthcare information and management systems by engaging in continuing professional development as a condition of maintaining the professional certification.

The CPHIMS-CA certification spans the same advanced industry content on the exam; the only difference is an additional 50-question module which tests the healthcare environment and regulatory content specific to Canada. The CPHIMS-CA is the product of HIMSS’s partnership with Digital Health Canada.

To be eligible for these certifications, you will need:

A bachelor’s degree from accredited college or university AND five or more years of information and management systems experience, with three of them in a healthcare setting.

OR

A graduate degree or higher from an accredited college/university AND three years of information and management systems experience, with two of those in a healthcare setting.

OR

At least 10 years of information and management systems experience, with eight of those years in a healthcare setting

The CPHIMS certification is the oldest and the most active HIMSS certification program, and has an international reach of 32 countries. Currently, there are approximately 3,500 CPHIMS certificants who are active and consistently renewing their certification.

Job roles of active CPHIMS certificants include executive-level health care professionals, analysts, consultants, nurses and pharmacists, to name a few. Nearly half of CPHIMS certificants are from hospital settings but many also work in consulting or academia.

CPDHTS

Digital health connects and empowers people and populations to manage health and wellness, and to strategically leverage digital tools, technologies and services to transform care delivery. HIMSS recognizes that resources to advance digital health capability are needed now more than ever. The challenges health systems face today are unprecedented and likely to inform and augment efforts to extend digital infrastructure across health systems to advance performance.

In this time of rapid change, hospitals, health systems and other healthcare provider organizations around the world are building strategies to improve capacity. There is a clear need to manage surges in demand for care, supply chain and logistics effectiveness, and building of new virtual care delivery models that ensure meaningful connectivity with patients when care is needed most.

The CPDHTS certification is the first certification in the market for digital health transformation. This certification was created to advance the body of knowledge of digital health transformation strategy occurring globally. Viewed as an emerging function, more organizations across the globe are engaged in the digital health transformation.

To participate in HIMSS newest certification, the CPDHTS, candidates must meet the same eligibility requirements as identified above for the CPHIMS eligibility.

The Value of HIMSS Certifications

Many people involved in the healthcare industry find themselves asking the same question: Are getting certifications really that important? The answer: a resounding yes. In a field experiencing such vast change, it’s important to possess a standard body of knowledge and an up-to-date skill set that shows you’re well informed and well prepared for what’s ahead in your career.

Healthcare professionals possessing CAHIMS, CPHIMS or CPHIMS-CA certifications garner myriad career benefits –(such as industry recognition and higher salaries), as a result of achieving HIMSS certification. That’s according to recent HIMSS Market Insights research on professional development.*

RELATED: Continuing Professional Development and Its Greater Rewards

Need more reasons to obtain a HIMSS certification?

• You will establish a standard body of knowledge which demonstrates your growing expertise of health information and technology subject matter.
• You are setting yourself apart from others in a competitive marketplace.
• You will expand your opportunity for career advancement.
• It shows you are getting involved and engaging further with your work outside of your regular job.

There’s nothing quite as valuable as the knowledge you’ll cultivate throughout your career—obtaining and keeping active HIMSS certifications is a fantastic way to keep that knowledge up to date.