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Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT®) 

While most RHITs work in hospitals, they are also found in other healthcare settings including office-based physician practices, nursing homes, home health agencies, mental health facilities, and public health agencies. RHITs may also be employed in any organization that uses patient data or health information, such as pharmaceutical companies, law and insurance firms, and health product vendors. 

RHITs: 

  • Ensure the quality of medical/health records by verifying their completeness, accuracy, and proper entry into computer systems. 
  • Use computer applications to assemble and analyze patient data for the purpose of improving patient care or controlling costs. 
  • Often specialize in coding diagnoses and procedures in patient records for reimbursement and research. An additional role for RHITs is a cancer registrar — compiling and maintaining data on cancer patients. 

Eligibility Requirements

Candidates must meet one of the following eligibility requirements to sit for the RHIT examination:  

Apply for the Exam

Apply to take the Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) exam.  

Eligibility for Early Testing

Students in CAHIIM-accredited HIM academic programs may be eligible to apply for and take the RHIA or RHIT certification exam early. Students who meet the following requirements are eligible for early testing:

  • Students currently enrolled and in their last term of study
  • Students who have completed their course work but have not yet graduated
  • Graduates that are currently waiting for their official transcripts

To apply to take the exam early, purchase the exam through the AHIMA Store. Complete the online exam application, select the early testing options and upload the completed application for early testing. Please be sure to only submit your exam application with the completed application for early testing, otherwise your application will not be approved.

Candidates who apply for early testing and successfully pass their exam will have their credential granted once official transcripts that include the graduation date are received and verified. Recertification requirements are the same as for others who pass the exam. The exam date will serve as the official date the credential is granted. 

About the RHIT Exam

Certified Professionals and Pass Rates 

As of 12/31/19, there were 32,714 certified RHIT professionals. 

Year 

Exam 

# First Time Testers 

Pass Rate First Time Testers 

2020* 

RHIT 

1,634

78% 

2019* 

RHIT 

2,160

76% 

2018* 

RHIT 

2,519

76% 

*U.S. and Canada results only 

Exam Specifications 

The RHIT is a timed exam. Candidates have 3.5 hours to complete the exam. The total number of questions on the exam range between 130 and 160 total items. The exam is given in a computer-based format.  

AHIMA exams contain a variety of questions or item types that require you to use your knowledge, skills, and/or experience to select the best answer. Each exam includes scored questions and pre-test questions randomly distributed throughout the exam. Pre-test questions are not counted in the final results. 

The passing score for the RHIT is 300. 

Competencies for RHITs fall into six domains. Each domain accounts for a specific percentage of the total questions on the certification exam. See the Exam Content Outline below for greater detail. 

Registered Health Information Technician (RHIT) Exam Content Outline

Download Exam Content Outline

Tasks: 

  1. Apply health information guidelines (e.g. coding guidelines, CMS, facility or regional best practices, federal and state regulations)
  2. Apply healthcare standards (e.g. Joint Commission, Meaningful Use)
  3. Define the legal health record
  4. Maintain the integrity of the legal health record
  5. Audit content and completion of the legal health record (e.g. validate document content)
  6. Maintain secondary health information (e.g. patient registration, financial records)
  7. Educate clinicians on documentation and content
  8. Coordinate document control (e.g. create, revise, standardize forms)
  9. Maintain the MPI

Tasks: 

  1. Manage disclosure of PHI using laws, regulations, and guidelines (e.g. release of information,accounting of disclosures) 
  2. Determine right of access to the legal health record
  3. Educate internal customers (e.g. clinicians, staff, volunteers, students) on privacy, access, and disclosure
  4. Educate external customers (e.g. patients, insurance companies, attorneys) on privacy, access, and disclosure
  5. Assess health record disposition (retain, archive, or destroy) 
  6. Conduct privacy audits
  7. Conduct security audits

Tasks: 

  1. Abstract data
  2. Analyze data
  3. Analyze privacy audits
  4. Analyze security audits
  5. Report data (e.g. registries, core measures)
  6. Compile healthcare statistics and reports
  7. Analyze healthcare statistics (e.g. census productivity, delinquency rates, resource allocation)

Tasks: 

  1. Code medical/health record documentation
  2. Query clinicians
  3. Conduct utilization review
  4. Manage denials (e.g. coding or insurance)
  5. Conduct coding audits
  6. Provide coding education
  7. Monitor Discharged Not Final Billed (DNFB) 
  8. Analyze the case mix

Tasks: 

  1. Refine departmental procedures
  2. Perform quality assessments
  3. Assess risks (e.g. patient care, legal)
  4. Report health information noncompliance
  5. Ensure HIM compliance (e.g. coding, ROI, CDI)
  6. Maintain standards for HIM functions (e.g. chart completion, coding accuracy, ROI turnaround time, departmental workflow)
  7. Monitor regulatory changes for timely and accurate implementation

Tasks: 

  1. Provide education regarding HIM laws and regulations
  2. Review HIM processes
  3. Create or modify HIM policies
  4. Create or modify HIM procedures
  5. Establish standards for HIM functions (e.g. chart completion, coding accuracy, ROI, turnaround time, departmental workflow)
  6. Collaborate with other departments for HIM interoperability
  7. Provide HIM technical expertise
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