CIIP Update: Getting Certified Got Easier

There’s no single textbook, and no specified curriculum, but preparing for the certified imaging informatics professional (CIIP) examination just got a bit easier with the completion of the learning objectives for each of the 10 domains of the American Board of Imaging Informatics (ABII) Test Content Outline (TCO).

While the test is designed and administered by the ABII, the Society of Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) is coordinating and leading the educational effort to prepare certification candidates through its Education Advisory Network, created for this express purpose.

The new learning objectives document drills down more deeply than the ABII TCO outline to create a more specific study guide. For instance, under the Image Management domain of the ABII TCO, which represents 20% of the test, there are 20 bulleted items to study. The new learning objectives document features 40 items under the image management domain.

Richard Morin, PhD, ABII board of trustees chair, emphasizes the need for a educational resources to help applicants prepare for the test. “Unlike radiologists, or dermatologists, imaging informatics specialists come from a lot of different backgrounds, and there is no standardized curriculum; there’s no standardized degree yet,” Morin notes. “The backgrounds can vary quite wildly, and this helps to put everyone on the same playing field.”

The ABII administered the CIIP examination in June 2007 to 103 applicants, and 99 candidates received the CIIP certification; another 84 out of 96 candidates received the designation in September 2007. An additional 120 candidates will take the test on March 28, 2008.

To bolster educational resources for imaging informatics professionals, SIIM launched its new Imaging Informatics Professional Web site sections to communicate SIIM’s resources better.

PACS administrators seeking certification will find a terrific account of the experience of David Brown, CIIP, imaging informatics manager at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, in studying for the CIIP exam in SIIM’s recent newsletter.