The value of becoming credentialed as a Compliance Officer or Coordinator demonstrates your dedication to compliance competency as well as enhancing your professional qualifications.
Becoming credentialed also benefits your practice by improving patient safety, enhancing regulatory compliance, and reducing liability. The Dental Compliance Institute (DCI) offers two levels of study—Basic and Advanced in the areas of HIPAA, OSHA, and dental risk management. All coursework is online and self-paced. There is no prerequisite knowledge needed for these courses.
What’s the Difference Between DCI Certificates and Credentials?
Understanding the differences between DCI certificate and credentialing programs will help you make the best decision about which course level meets your professional development goals.
Basic Level Course Completion with Certificate:
This level enables you to build foundational knowledge firsthand by learning the applicable regulations and standards. There are self-review questions after each module; however, there are no class assignments, class participation requirements or post-course test. No continuing education credits are granted. Students receive a Basic Certificate of Completion.
This level of study is appropriate for dental professionals who desire to obtain regulatory and compliance information for their own knowledge. If you are already a Compliance Coordinator or Privacy Officer, this level serves as an in-depth refresher. If you are new to compliance, this level is just right for you.
It is not necessary to complete any of the Basic Courses before taking an Advanced Course. If you choose to take a Basic Course before taking an Advanced Course, you will receive a credit toward your registration fee.
Advanced Certification with Credentials:
The Advanced level is DCI’s highest level of achievement. This level awards certification and credentials in the chosen area of study—HIPAA Compliance, OSHA Compliance, or Dental Risk Management.
The Advanced level is an assessment-based certificate program. It includes the same core program content as the Basic Courses. In addition, learning is enhanced through required class participation along with discussion questions, self-review questions, assignments, and a competency exam. The competency exam is administered by an independent third party.
Upon satisfactory completion of all required elements, students receive certification in HIPAA compliance, OSHA compliance, or Dental Risk Management.
Depending on the area of study, graduates of Advanced Courses are awarded the designation of the following in their signatures:
- CDSH™ ─ Certified Dental Specialist in HIPAA
- CDSO™ ─ Certified Dental Specialist in OSHA
- CDSRM™ − Certified Dental Specialist in Risk Management
Achieving credentials confirms your mastery of the required subject matter through a third-party administered exam. Credentials are required to be renewed annually, which includes maintaining a current DCI membership.
The Advanced OSHA course is Certified by Quality Matters™ (QM) a nationally recognized program certifying the quality of online education. When a course is Certified by QM it means the course meets the QM standards for online education and has been independently peer reviewed using the Quality Matters Rubric. DCI is dedicated to quality online education and is committed to achieving QM recognition for all its Advanced Courses.
All courses are for educational purposes only and are not intended to provide legal advice. Learn more about specific course work: HIPAA, OSHA, or Risk Management.