Position Statement

Abbreviated Injury Scale Certification (CAISS)
March 27, 2020
Approved by the AIS Certification Board

AIS Certification is one part of a process called credentialing. It focuses specifically on the individual and is an indication of current competence in a specialized area of practice. It covers a broad range of concepts to include knowledge of anatomy, medical terminology related to injury diagnoses, AIS coding fundamentals and identification and coding of injury descriptions. Board certification is highly valued and provides formal recognition of AIS coding knowledge and application.

The CAISS credential is vital to those who are responsible for the collection, reporting, analysis and use of injured patient data, including trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, emergency physicians, medical examiners, coroners, advanced practice nurses, trauma program managers, trauma data managers, trauma registrars, county, regional and state researchers, and biomechanical or crash reconstruction engineers to name a few.

The AIS Certification achieved through formal testing promotes competence in this specialized body of knowledge by:

  1. Recognizing formally those individuals who meet the eligibility requirements of the AIS Certification Board and pass the Certification Examination for AIS Coding Specialists.
  2. Encouraging continued personal and professional growth in the practice of injury severity scoring using the AIS.
  3. Establishing and measuring the level of knowledge required for certification in injury severity scoring using the AIS.
  4. Providing a standard of knowledge requisite for certification, thereby assisting the employer, public, and members of the injury scoring community in the assessment of the AIS Coding Specialist.

Therefore, to maintain this highly valued level of coding knowledge and application within the numerous healthcare, academic and research settings, it is essential to validate this through a formal certification exam. This is a professional responsibility to test knowledge and application of that knowledge and exceeds the basic requirement of attending CEU approved programs. This process assures that the knowledge gained from the codes applied within the various databanks can be utilized by the employers and researchers to reach accurate decisions to drive healthcare, public policy and research decisions.

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