What is Medical Transcription Program Approval?

The medical transcription program approval process was instituted by the Association for Healthcare Documentation Integrity (AHDI) to encourage compliance with AHDI’s Model Curriculum for Medical Transcription, maintain sound educational programming, produce competent entry-level medical transcriptionists, and assure consistency and high-quality outcomes for medical transcription education. Programs must comply with specific educational and institutional criteria as established by AHDI. There is no formal accreditation process for medical transcription programs, but AHDI program approval is regarded by industry employers as an emerging benchmark for job-ready workforce candidates.

All communications regarding the ACCP Approval Process should be directed to:

AHDI Education Program Review Team
4230 Kiernan Ave.
Suite 130
Modesto, CA 95356
800-982-2182 x2456
edapproval@ahdionline.org

Approved Programs

A list of approved medical transcription programs can be found here. AHDI recommends these programs to all potential students seeking an education in the medical transcription industry. A successful career starts with a solid education, and students are encouraged to analyze their options carefully. AHDI-approved educational programs may display the following logo to denote their approval status.

If you are looking for approved coding programs please visit AHIMA.

Education Approval - Governing Bodies

Approval for medical transcription education programs will be granted by the Approval Committee for Certificate Programs (ACCP) a joint committee of AHDI and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA, the national association of health information management professionals), under the general supervision of AHIMA’s Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

Model Curriculum for Medical Transcription

The Model Curriculum for Medical Transcription was initially developed by AHDI to assist educational institutions in the development of medical transcription educational programs. The Model Curriculum incorporates a competencies profile for medical transcription into an educational program outline. The curriculum materials are intended solely as a guide and carry no explicit or implicit assurances of approval. However, a program intending to achieve program approval must be based on the Model Curriculum.

Model Curriculum for Medical Transcription

Approval e-Submission - How Does it Work?

School submits a Preliminary Program Assessment and fee payment via email. (Mailed checks are also accepted for fee payment.)
Within 30 days after receipt of the Preliminary Program Assessment and fee, AHDI will notify the school if the submitted program meets minimum criteria for admission to the program approval process.
If the submitted program is deemed eligible for application, AHDI will create a project for the school in Basecamp, our electronic project management e-submission platform. This project site will include all materials needed to guide the school through the application process. (Basecamp training is provided by AHDI free of charge.)
In their Basecamp project, the school submits the Self Study Application and required program materials for formal review and potential recommendation to the ACCP for approval.

For a full outline of submission flow and more information regarding the approval process please download the Medical Transcription Program Approval Manual.

Approval Process Step #1 - Preliminary Program Assessment

The first step toward ACCP Approval is to submit a Preliminary Program Assessment (PPA, see link to download below) along with a $100 fee. The PPA will be reviewed , and within 30 days the school will be provided feedback as to whether or not the program meets the minimum requirements to proceed to the next step in the application process, including submission of the required accompanying materials and fees. There are no specific deadlines for submission of the PPA; see below for further discussion of scheduling.

The PPA must be completed electronically and submitted electronically. Fax and paper submissions are NOT allowed. Once the document has been completed electronically it can be emailed to Rebecca McSwain, Professional Programs Associate, at rmcswain@ahdionline.org. Please refer to the PPA template below further instructions.

Preliminary Program Assessment Template

Once a PPA and fee are submitted, you will receive an email confirming receipt. Then, within 30 days, you will be advised whether your school meets minimum requirements as stated in the PPA.

Approval Process Step #2 - Self Study Application

The second step toward ACCP Approval is to submit a Self Study Application along with the application fee. A breakdown of application fees can be found in the Medical Transcription Program Approval Manual. The Self Study Application will undergo rigorous evaluation and review by a team of peer reviewers who are responsible for assessing your program based on program criteria. At the end of that review period, program reviewers submit a formal recommendation to the ACCP at a quarterly meeting. The Self Study and recommendation cycle is thus scheduled once a quarter, giving qualifying programs four opportunities a year for program review. For a list of document submission deadlines for Self Study Application, please refer to the Self Study Application submission dates listed below.

Note: Effective January 1, 2010, the AHDI Education Approval Program transitioned to a paperless e-submission process. This change reflects our commitment to both responsible, green program management and cost reduction for our educational program participants. No paper submissions will be accepted.

Upcoming Self Study Application Submission Dates:

Quarterly Vote: March 16, 2012 Quarterly Vote: June 15, 2012

Self Study Application Deadline:
January 20, 2012 Self Study Application Deadline:
April 20, 2012

Quarterly Vote: September 21, 2012 Quarterly Vote: December 21, 2012

Self Study Application Deadline:
July 27, 2012 Self Study Application Deadline:
October 26, 2012

What is Basecamp?

As of January 1, 2010, the paperless, e-submission Self Study Application process utilizes Basecamp, our e-submission platform. No paper submissions are accepted.

Basecamp will connect schools entering the review process to an interactive platform designed to guide program-approval candidates through the submission process. Basecamp provides access to a detailed list of required competency materials, a calendar showing program deadlines and reminders, and a file upload area that will allow program applicants to upload and track all current and pending submission documents in a secure, user-friendly environment. Once a school is deemed a viable candidate for program approval, the school is given access to Basecamp to begin building the Self Study Application. For applicants needing assistance, Basecamp training is offered free of charge by AHDI.

For more information on how Basecamp works please refer to the Medical Transcription Program Approval Manual.

Frequently Used Documents

Model Curriculum for Medical Transcription

Medical Transcription Program Approval Manual

AHDI Guidelines for School Announcement

Appendix E Program Source Sequence Grid

Appendix F Required Textbooks, Materials, and Resources Table

Funding Checklist

SUM Program Report Inventory with Lengths

Education Approval Peer Reviewers

Each educational program that submits materials for approval has two peer reviewers who evaluate program materials before it goes to the Approval Committee for Certificate Programs. A peer reviewer will evaluate all documents submitted for accuracy and completeness. The volunteer position of a peer reviewer is not easy but very rewarding. For more information download the following documents:

Peer Reviewer Job Description

Peer Reviewer Application

Peer Review Confidentiality Agreement