FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Welcome to the FAQs section for the Clinical Research Health Care Specialist Certification program. This area is provided to you as a source of information that may be more clarified, related to questions you may have in regards to our certification program. Information regarding recertification, as well as information about our online continuing education courses, is also provided. We highly recommend that you first thoroughly review all of the information on our website, under the main page for Clinical Research Certification. Access main page.
If after reviewing all of the provided information and this FAQs section, any other questions may be addressed by completing our request for information form online here. Thank you for your interest in our Clinical Research Specialist Certification and education program.
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What is Certification?
Answer: Certification is a voluntary process provided by via an organization that through its qualified advisory boards develops comprehensive and quality standards for the practice of a type of specialty. The developed standards address high quality requirements for the practice of a certain specialty. The defined standards outline educational and/or practice requirements, any required prerequisites, and the need to adhere to a defined code of ethics for the practice specialty. Certification is different than any type of licensing. Certification is one means by which professionals may be publicly recognized as achieving a high level of education, knowledge base and practice skills for a certain healthcare related specialty. Certification also assists employer organizations and clients in their assessment of appropriate qualifications for candidates seeking positions in organizations and/or involved in private practices. It is commonly held that certification through an organization is fast becoming a “gold standard” for specialty practices. Certification testifies and provides a verification of defined educational requirements, adherence to a solid code of ethics, and in many instances prerequisites of practice experience for the practice in a variety of fields.
What Are the Criteria/standards I Will Need to Meet to Achieve Certification?
Answer: The educational criteria and standards are well and clearly defined within our website. Please access our main page to preview these requirements. Access here.
Over the Years, I Have Completed Many Seminars and Continuing Education Courses Related to clinical research. Will These Apply Toward the Education Requirements for Certification?
Answer: Please send in any transcript for review to determine if they can be utilized and an AIHCP course waived. You can contact us here.
WHAT IS THE MAJOR PRACTICE FOCUS OF A CERTIFIED CLINICAL RESEARCH SPECIALIST?
Answer: Please review our Role of The Clinical Research Health Care Specialist webpage for a complete answer.
Where Do Certified Clinical Research Specialists Practice and What is their Primary Role and Responsibilities?
Answer: A Clinical Research Specialist is a professional dedicated to optimizing medical workflows. The core task of this position is to refine various clinical practices currently in use, so that they gradually become more aligned with patients’ actual needs. These specialists never make adjustments to medical practices based on subjective intuition; every step of modification must first be supported by sufficient medical-related data. They carefully study and fully analyze the information contained in these datasets before advancing their work step by step.
These specialists also lead and manage entirely new clinical trials. They take charge of the entire process, from the initial planning of the trial’s framework and the formulation of every step of the trial protocol, to the implementation and steady advancement of the trial, and finally to the wrap-up work after the trial concludes, which includes sorting and analyzing all data collected during the trial. Two core goals must be achieved through these clinical trials: one is to help patients recover faster, and the other is to accurately measure the actual efficacy of all existing or newly launched therapies.
In addition to maintaining high standards for every piece of work they complete themselves, these specialists also establish strict implementation standards for the entire medical industry, driving relevant work across the sector to move forward in line with these high benchmarks. When conducting research, they never rely on a single method. Instead, they always select the most suitable research approach based on the specific problem to be solved: sometimes they organize and analyze a large volume of quantitative data with numerical values to extract patterns hidden within the data; sometimes they conduct one-on-one interviews with medical staff and patients related to the trial to collect information; and occasionally they combine these different methods. No matter what type of medical problem they encounter, this set of research tools they have accumulated helps them find corresponding solutions.
They never work in isolation. They collaborate closely with physicians who see patients daily in hospital clinics, government staff managing local medical affairs, and scientists from other research fields. With solid research conclusions in hand, they do not lock these achievements away only in professional academic papers. Instead, they translate these hard facts into actionable medical and health care plans that can be truly implemented. The work ultimately delivers two tangible outcomes: one is that the medical services accessible to the general public become increasingly comprehensive, and the other is that the baseline of patient safety is firmly upheld, preventing people from encountering unnecessary risks when seeking medical care.
Another critical role of this position is to act as a link that connects daily clinical diagnosis and treatment with the latest academic research data. The daily work of treating patients in hospitals and the newly released cutting-edge research data from academia are prone to disconnection: frontline clinical staff may not have time to keep up with the latest research, while researchers lack a clear understanding of the real needs on the front lines. It is these specialists that bridge the gap between the two sides. Throughout the entire process, from planning a study and promoting its implementation to conducting the final review of the research, they gradually summarize evidence-based, practical medical practices that have been verified by real-world cases. By rolling these practices out in clinical settings, they help patients achieve better treatment outcomes.
In their daily work, they also first identify widespread, major health issues—problems that pose a great threat to public health and affect a large number of people. They then break down all data related to these issues to uncover patterns hidden within the datasets. After obtaining these true conclusions, they never hoard the information; they proactively share these findings with relevant departments and personnel, to drive revisions to existing medical regulations and policies, so that policies can better align with the public’s actual health needs.
They also often work with cross-disciplinary teams, a practice designed to uphold two core bottom lines: first, that their research is rigorous and fully meets scientific requirements, free of flaws; and second, that the research conclusions can actually be implemented and applied to the daily lives of ordinary people, rather than remaining unfeasible, paper-only achievements. The work they do not only fosters entirely new medical ideas and identifies more new directions to support patients, but also elevates the quality of medical services across all types of clinics, making every type of outpatient care more reliable through their efforts.
What is the Process for Achieving This Certification?
Answer: There is a two-phase process. In order to provide clear and sufficient information on the process we have developed a separate page that defines the process. You may access this information on the certification process at this link: click here.
How Can I Submit an Application?
Answer: Making application is easy. We provide an online application form and a printable application form as well. Those wishing to make application can find these forms at this link. Please note that incomplete applications will not be reviewed. All applications that are submitted must include all required documents and verification as specified for review and consideration of certification conferral. Before making any application, you must meet the defined pre-requisites for a given program and have successfully completed the full continuing education curriculum, or a curriculum from a program that AIHCP, Inc. has officially approved.
After Certification is There a Recertification Process?
Answer: Yes. The American Institute of Health Care Professionals provides a full program for recertification. Detailed information on the criteria to be recertified, after the four-year initial certification period, is provided on our website. Access here.
I Am Currently Certified by the American Institute of Health Care Professionals. I Know I Am Required to Achieve Additional Education in Order to Qualify for Recertification in the Future. Do You Offer Any Continuing Education Courses That I May Take to Meet My Recertification Requirements?
Answer: Yes, we offer recertification CE courses. You can view them all by category at the following link. Access here.
Do You Have Any Testimonials From Professionals Who Have Become Certified Through Your Programs?
Answer: Yes. We have a testimonials page on our website that you may view at the following link. Access Here.