The AHIOS Institute provides education, training and certification in the handling of patients’ personal health information. The AHIOS Institute’s CRIS (Certified Release of Information Specialist) program is a rigorous exam that tests an individual’s knowledge about how to protect the confidentiality of patients’ personal health information when that information is released to requestors.
Because ROI is so complicated – and the liability threats so significant – the majority of healthcare providers outsource this necessary function to ensure they have access to staff with quality control, technology and healthcare expertise. The written exam includes a broad range of questions, covering the contents of a medical record to the components of a valid authorization for a record’s release. The largest section of the exam asks test takers what they would do when presented with a wide variety of hypothetical situations – for example, a sheriff asking for a patients medical records as part of a criminal investigation.
Before taking the written exam, an individual must be in the release of information field for at least six months prior or have AHIMA credentials. In order to receive the Certified Release of Information Specialist (CRIS) designation demonstrating mastery in the field of release of information, an individual must receive an 80% or higher on the exam. If they fail the exam, they must wait 60 days before retaking the exam.
