Certified Ambulance Documentation Specialist (CADS)
*Pricing shown is for the ONLINE course only. Price is per course voucher (per person). Live Course prices may vary.
The Certified Ambulance Documentation Specialist (CADS) certification is specifically designed for EMT's, paramedics, EMS field providers, QA/QI personnel, supervisors, compliance professionals, billers, and others involved in EMS clinical care and ambulance documentation.
High-quality patient care documentation is critical to patient care, reimbursement, compliance, and legal protection. Poor documentation can negatively impact revenue, increase liability exposure, and create compliance risks during audits and investigations.
Having providers at your agency with the CADS credential shows a true commitment to quality care and top-notch documentation by your agency.
This course prepares EMS professionals to::
- Improve patient care documentation quality
- Strengthen clinical narratives and PCR accuracy
- Better document medical necessity and special situations
- Reduce provider and organizational liability
- Improve billing accuracy and compliance outcomes
- Support stronger overall EMS documentation practices
The CADS course is designed to be completed in 6-7 hours of course instruction, followed by a final exam. The CADS certification is a lifetime certification with no annual recertification requirements. Well worth the investment for a lifetime of better documentation.
WHAT YOU'LL MASTER
Why Pursue The CADS Certification:
Improve Documentation Quality
Learn practical stategies for creating stronger, more accurate patient care reports.
Reduce Liability Risks
Understand how proper documentation supports legal protection and reduces compliance exposure.
Strengthen Billing and Compliance
Improve documentations practices that support reimbursement accuracy and audit readiness.
Build Stronger Clinical Narratives
Develop clearer, more complete narratives that better reflect patient care and medical necessity.
CURRICULUM
Seven modules.
One exam.
A credential that carries weight.
Each module includes recorded lectures, case-study breakdowns, downloadable resources, and end-of-module quizzes.
In the introduction to the CADS course we will explain the purposes of EMS documentation, how it’s used in court and the proper way to amend a Patient Care Report (PCR).
In this lesson, we will discuss a variety of PCR formats, how to construct an effective narrative, the essentials of clinical and operational compliance and the importance of patient privacy.
This lesson deals with unique situations such as; patient consent, refusals and dealing with law enforcement.
In lesson 4, we will discover what Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) is and why it’s important. We will also review documentation requirements for common patient care situations.
This lesson examines the role of documentation in the compliance process as well as the importance of specificity, completeness and accuracy to support proper level of service billing.
Here we will dive into what medical necessity really means and how to appropriately document patient condition, treatment and interventions, and the reason for transport.
Bring CADS to Your Organization
Bring the Certified Ambulance Documentation Specialist (CADS) course directly to your organization and get your EMS staff trained, tested, and certified in one day.
Our experienced EMS professionals come on-site to your location to provide approximately 5 hours of training, followed by the certification exam. CADS training is designed to improve documentation quality, support compliance, reduce liability, and strengthen essential EMS documentation skills.
Your staff will receive training in areas including:
- Writing effective clinical narratives
- Documenting refusals of care
- Accurately documenting medical necessity
- Documenting with specificity, detail, and clinical accuracy
- Capturing required signatures
- And more
Ready to Bring CADS to Your Team?
For more information or to discuss hosting a CADS course, contact NAAC at 877-765-6222 or b.holubik@ambulancecompliance.com.
Hosted CADS Pricing & Details
The on-site hosted CADS course is $7,000 for up to 50 participants.
- A $5,000 deposit is due at the time of booking and signing the Hosted CADS Agreement.*
- For groups larger than 50, additional participants are $50 per person (maximum limits may apply).
- Organizations may choose to schedule a second course day. When scheduled on consecutive days, the second day is discounted to $6,500.
- The host organization is responsible for reasonable travel expenses for up to two NAAC representatives, including coach airfare, economy rental car, lodging, meals, mileage, and parking.
- CADS certification is permanent and does not require annual continuing education or recertification.