CEHRS study guide
CEHRS · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS) credential is issued by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), an allied health certification body whose exams are NCCA-accredited. It validates the work of keeping patient data secure, complete, and accurate - a skill set NHA describes as highly sought after in healthcare. The exam targets people entering or already working in the EHR role: auditing records for compliance, abstracting clinical information for reports, performing basic coding to submit reimbursement claims, processing release-of-information requests, reviewing patient demographic and insurance information, and discussing patient information with physicians and insurance professionals. NHA rebuilt the exam after a nationwide Job Task Analysis and launched the updated version on June 17, 2020. The CEHRS study guide has 4 sections and about 1,800 words.
01Records Management, Documentation, and Auditing
Records management covers the life of a patient record from registration to destruction. Know the difference between the legal health record (what the organization would release in response to a valid request) and the designated record set (a broader HIPAA term including medical and billing records and other information used to make decisions).
381 words, about 2 min02Compliance, Confidentiality, and Release of Information
Compliance and confidentiality questions test whether you know which rule controls, what a valid authorization contains, and when disclosure is permitted without authorization. HIPAA's Privacy Rule governs uses and disclosures; the Security Rule governs electronic protected health information (ePHI).
383 words, about 2 min03Reimbursement and Basic Coding
Reimbursement content tests the revenue cycle from registration through payment. Know the payer mix-Medicare, Medicaid, commercial, managed care, workers' compensation, and self-pay-and the cost-sharing terms: deductible, copayment, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket maximum.
323 words, about 2 min04Patient Demographic and Insurance Data
Accurate registration data drive claims, safety, and reporting. The master patient index (MPI) is the facility's list of patients and their unique identifiers; duplicate or overlapped records cause wrong-patient errors, claim denials, and safety events.
713 words, about 4 min