Starting January 1, 2023, Certified Point-of-Care Testing Professionals (CPP diplomates) are required to renew their certification every three years by submitting documentation for 36 hours of continuing education (CE) and paying a $75 USD processing fee.
CPP certification renewal is the process of submitting proof of continued learning in point-of-care and paying a processing fee at the end of each three-year certification period. This process ensures that certified practitioners stay current in the field through ongoing learning and regular evaluation. It also shows that CPP diplomates remain knowledgeable about new developments and changes in the profession.
The ADLM Point-of-Care Professional Certification Committee hosted a webinar for Certified Point-of-Care Professionals (CPP) to provide an overview of the certification renewal process on May 21, 2025 from 1pm-2pm EST. The certification renewal process is designed based upon best practices and member feedback to ensure that CPPs continue to grow professionally while maintaining a strong connection to the profession.
Webinar RecordingCPP diplomate information is available in your ADLM account. Log into your ADLM account and go to "My Profile". Then navigate to "Certifications" tab to access:
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CPP diplomates are certified for three years, starting January 1 of the year following their initial certification. For example, someone who passed the exam in November 2022 would begin their certification on January 1, 2023, with it ending on December 31, 2025. To maintain certification, renewal documentation and payment must be submitted by the end of the certification period (e.g., by December 31, 2025 in the example). Each subsequent certification period also lasts three years. As an example:
CPP diplomates are responsible for knowing the start and end dates of their certification period. To avoid missing important deadlines, consider setting calendar reminders or alerts in advance. For any questions about your certification period, contact [email protected].
All CPP diplomates certified prior to January 1, 2023, begin their initial certification period on January 1, 2023, and end their initial certification period on December 31, 2025.
CPP diplomates must use the CPP Activity Tracker to submit activities for certification renewal.
At the end of the certification period, CPP diplomates are required to document 36 hours of continuing education during their current certification period. The 36 hours will include POCT specific education (Category 1; 24 hours minimum) and may also include general laboratory medicine education (Category 2; 12 hours maximum).
Continuing education hours generally equate to an equivalent number of contact hours or continuing education (CE) credit. The Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine’s (formerly AACC) ACCENT credit and ACCME’s CME credit are commonly accepted types of CE credit.
There are other acceptable accreditation programs and CE credits. Any accreditation program being considered should be well-established and well-recognized in the field. This can be determined by history, breadth, and acceptance by other organizations or bureaus as valid education currency. The program should also have established processes to prevent bias, ensure scientific integrity, and maintain relevancy to clinical laboratory practice. The accreditation statement and mission statement are especially important to determining whether the CE credit is relevant to diplomate audiences. Contact [email protected] if you have questions about a specific accreditation program or corresponding CE credits.
| POCT Specific | General Laboratory Medicine |
| Category 1: 24 CE credit minimum POCT specific CE from an accredited provider. |
Category 2: 12 credits maximum General laboratory CE from professional activities OR an accredited provider. |
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At a minimum, diplomates must submit evidence of participating in CE that is specific to the POCT field. Diplomates may submit more than the minimum required. Excess category 1 credits may be applied to category 2 requirements. Category 1 credits must be from education activities that are specific to the POCT field such as education on POCT method validation, quality control, detection of analytes, testing reports, competency assessment, device training, instrument maintenance, or leadership and management. The following are examples of common accredited activities. This list is not fully inclusive.
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Any category 1 credits submitted beyond the 24 credit minimum may be applied to the category 2 requirements. Category 2 credits may be from professional activities or from accredited providers that cover the wider range of laboratory medicine. Category 2 credits recognize the broader integration of POCT in laboratory medicine and the need to stay up to date in general laboratory practice. Activities may cover general or specific topics throughout laboratory medicine. The following are examples of uncommon accredited professional activities. This list is not fully inclusive.
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Is it required that any activity submitted for certification renewal be certified for CE credit by an accredited provider or be within the list of acceptable professional activities. Documentation of participation can be represented by many forms of verification that includes certificate of completion, transcripts, registration / participation email, or event materials. Documentation should contain at a minimum:
For non-accredited professional activities, the following are examples of documentation that diplomates may provide as evidence of participation.
It is the responsibility of the CPP diplomate to maintain records and evidence of participation in continuing education during their current certification period.
We are actively working to finalize partnership with a tracking platform that diplomates would be able to use to upload documentation. Diplomates are responsible for maintaining their records and evidence of participation in continuing education until such a platform is available. As a reminder, regardless of the CE tracking platform, diplomates are required to have these records available for upload and/or audit purposes.
Diplomates are required to submit an online payment of $75 USD for certification renewal processing. A link to the online payment will be made available to diplomates approximately one month prior to the end of each certification period. Payment is not available throughout the year to prevent unintentional advance payment and ensure certification periods are maintained accurately.
An order receipt is automatically sent to the diplomate’s account email. Diplomates may also view and download the receipt by signing into their ADLM account. Once signed in, go to “My Profile” and then “Order History.” Select the appropriate item and then “Print Invoice.” Orders are processed by ADLM (the administrative support of transactions).
At the end of each certification period, a portion of diplomates are chosen at random to assess the documentation submitted to ensure it meets the requirements for continuing education in certification renewal.
The audit process is not meant to alarm any diplomate selected. It can be thought of as a quality control check among the many diplomates. Members of the POCT Professional Certification Credentials Subcommittee oversee the audit process. These individuals will review the individual documentation submitted. If there are any questions or additional information needed, they will contact the diplomate directly. The diplomate may be requested to submit additional documentation, clarify the activity or participation details, or provide corrections to incorrectly submitted materials. If the audit process reveals errors or issues that are not readily resolved, the reviewer(s) will work to develop a mitigation plan if possible.
As a certifying body, the audit process helps us to describe and define to external groups how the specialty ensures appropriate and required continuing education takes place.
There are many reasons a diplomate may miss the deadline for certification renewal. Our goal is to facilitate a return to active status as soon as possible.
A diplomate will become “LAPSED” if they do not fulfill all the requirements of certification renewal within 30 days of the end of the current certification period. Lapsed diplomates will remain listed in the directory of diplomates but cannot receive a letter of verification of active status and may not be eligible to serve roles that require CPP certification. Lapsed diplomates may remain lapsed for up to three years (i.e., an entire certification period) following the conclusion of the diplomate’s most recent certification period.
As an example, a diplomate whose certification renewal ends on December 31, 2025 will be considered lapsed on February 1, 2026 if the CE documentation and/or payment of processing fee are not submitted. The diplomate will remain lapsed until these steps are completed. The deadline to complete these steps and reinstate active status would be December 31, 2028.
To reinstate active diplomate status, the individual must submit all outstanding CE documentation and pay all outstanding processing fees. This may require contacting the administrator by email at [email protected] to ensure CE documentation can be submitted and that they receive the appropriate payment form.
