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:

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

Approved Programs

Medical Transcription programs that have been approved by AHDI and AHIMA 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 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 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.

Eight Must-Have Competencies

There are many competencies required of an ACCP Approved School, as outlined in the Competency Profile for MT Education Programs and detailed in the Model Curriculum for Medical Transcription; see below. However, additionally there are eight requisites - ”must-haves" - for ACCP approval. A program that does not meet these requirements cannot be approved by the ACCP. The “must-haves” are as follows:

The curriculum must follow the AHDI Model Curriculum.
The program must provide a minimum of 35 hours of authentic physician dictation for the students to transcribe or edit (40 hours preferred).
The program must have at least one CMT involved in the educational process; the CMT may be a program director, a curriculum developer, or an instructor.
The program must require the use of the AHDI Book of Style (this is the industry standard style guide).
The school/program must be able to demonstrate financial viability.
The school/program must be accredited or licensed through a governmental body.
The school/program must be in existence for a minimum of 6 months and be able to provide placement statistics of previous students.
The program must incorporate course instructors that perform traditional instruction and/or direct feedback to students.

For details of required competencies please reference the Model Curriculum for Medical Transcription.

Approval e-Submission - How Does it Work?

School submits a Gap Analysis and down payment via email, fax, or postal mail.
While reviewers are completing the Gap Analysis, schools under review will be given secure access to the Basecamp e-submission platform, in order to electronically submit all Self Study Application materials.
School submits Self Study Application and required program materials via Basecamp 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 - Gap Analysis

The first step toward ACCP Approval is to submit a Gap Analysis along with a $200 deposit. The Gap Analysis will be reviewed by a team of peer reviewers, who will provide 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. The Gap Analysis review cycle is scheduled once a quarter, giving interested programs four opportunities a year to apply for this preliminary review. For a list of document submission deadlines for Gap Analysis submission please refer to the Gap Analysis submission dates below.

The Gap Analysis document 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 Gap Analysis template below for further instructions.

Gap Analysis Template

Once a Gap Analysis and deposit are submitted, you will receive an email confirming its receipt and asking for program contact information. This information is required for creating a secure program-approval profile in Basecamp, our e-submission platform. During the Gap Analysis phase, you will have access to your Basecamp profile, to begin electronically uploading your program materials for the assessment and review required for the Self Study review phase. At the end of the Gap Analysis review, you will receive notification of reviewer feedback and suggestions that can assist you making sure your Self Study Application materials are complete and meet submission criteria.

Upcoming Gap Analysis Application Deadlines:

First Quarter 2010 Second Quarter 2010

Gap Analysis Deadline:
December 18,2009

(for results to be returned 1/22/2010) Gap Analysis Deadline:
March 19, 2010

(for results to be returned 4/23/2010)

Third Quarter 2010 Fourth Quarter 2010

Gap Analysis Deadline:
June 18,2010

(for results to be returned 7/23/2010) Gap Analysis Deadline:
September 17, 2010

(for results to be returned 10/22/2010)

Approval Process Step #2 - Self Study Application

The second step toward ACCP Approval is to submit a Self Study Application along with the remainder of your application fees. 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 committee. The Self Study and recommendation cycle is scheduled once a quarter, giving qualifying programs four opportunities a year to apply for full 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 19, 2010 Quarterly Vote: June 18, 2010

Self Study Application Deadline:
February 5, 2010 Self Study Application Deadline:
May 7, 2010

Quarterly Vote: September 17, 2010 Quarterly Vote: December 17, 2010

Self Study Application Deadline:
August 6, 2010 Self Study Application Deadline:
November 5, 2010

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’s Gap Analysis is submitted, the school is given access to Basecamp to begin building the Self Study Application.

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