Introduction
All certified perfusionists must recertify annually. Recertification is designed to ensure that Certified Clinical Perfusionists, through continuing education and clinical activity, continue to meet standards and possess current and adequate knowledge in the field. Recertification consists of two (2) components:
- clinical activity [40 activities reported every year]- described on this page
- professional activity [45 CEUs reported every third year].
Online Filing System
Beginning with the 2013-2014 recertification period, all regular recertification reports must be submitted through the Online Filing System (OFS). The CCP may access his/her OFS account in order to record cases (Clinical Activity Report) and CEUs (Professional Activity Report) throughout the reporting period.
OFS Details are available on our FAQs page (items 10-13). The ABCP National Office staff is also available to assist CCPs who have questions or issues regarding the system.
Recertification Filing Deadline
All reporting periods end on June 30th. Clinical Activity Reports must be completed and filed through the Online Filing System with the appropriate fee by July 31st 11:59 PM PST.
The first Clinical Activity Report for a newly certified perfusionist is due by July 31st 11:59 PM PST in the year following the year in which he/she successfully completes the examination process.
Clinical Activity Requirements
A Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) is required to perform a minimum of 40 clinical activities annually (July 1st – June 30th). Of the 40 clinical activities, a minimum of 25 activities must be documented as Table A – Primary Clinical Perfusion Activities (PCPA). Clinical case credit is only given to the perfusionist who is considered the primary perfusionist in a primary clinical perfusion activity. A primary perfusionist is defined as the perfusionist who is responsible for the conduct of perfusion for 60% of the case and whom the hospital/institution recognizes and is documented as the primary perfusionist. Only one perfusionist may submit for primary perfusionist per clinical case.
If a CCP is unable to attain 40 primary clinical perfusion activities, a maximum of 15 activities may be documented as Table B – Secondary Clinical Perfusion Activities (SCPA) and will count towards the 40-case requirement. Only one SCPA case credit will be allowed during the conduction of one perfusion procedure.
All clinical cases must be performed on human patients and documentable in an audit. Clinical activities and core elements of the clinical activity are defined in Tables A and B below.
Clinical specialists or sales representatives shall not receive case credit for cases for which they provide clinical support as an industry representative.
Table A- PCPA
| Primary Clinical Perfusion Activities (PCPA) | Clinical Definition | Core Elements |
|---|---|---|
|
1P Cardiopulmonary Bypass (CPB), Primary |
A Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) who is the primary operator of the heart-lung machine, used during cardiac surgery and other surgeries that require extracorporeal circulation, used to manage the patient's physiological status |
Blood pump, reservoir, heat exchanger, oxygenator, extracorporeal circuit used accordingly with hemodynamic/lab value monitoring. Multiple pump runs per one OR visit equal 1 primary case credit. |
|
2P Instructor CPB Bypass, Primary (Not eligible for PBSE or CAPE examination cases.) |
A Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) who serves as a clinical instructor to a student enrolled in an accredited perfusion program during primary clinical perfusion activities that require extracorporeal circulation, used to manage the patient's physiological status.
|
Blood pump, reservoir, heat exchanger, oxygenator, extracorporeal circuit used accordingly with hemodynamic/ lab value monitoring. Primary clinical perfusion activities (PCPA) performed as clinical instructor in an accredited program are considered a primary perfusion activity and will receive full case credit. During clinical instruction in which the student is operating extracorporeal circulation equipment, there must be direct one-to-one supervision by the clinical instructor. Students may also receive credit toward certification eligibility for the same case. |
|
3P Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), Primary |
A Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) who is the primary operator of Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) circuit that provides life support for respiratory and/or cardiac failure. The CCP must be documented at the institution as a member of the patient care team for that period and a physician name must accompany the case in the Clinical Activity Report. |
Extracorporeal circuit, oxygenator, heat exchanger used accordingly with hemodynamic/lab value monitoring. For each ECMO case, one case credit per 24 hours will be awarded for initiating and bedside managing ECMO (4-hour minimum) or bedside managing (6-hour minimum). No simultaneous credit will be awarded for managing multiple ECMO patients in this time period. |
|
4P Normothermic Regional Perfusion (NRP), Ex Vivo Organ Perfusion, Primary (Not eligible for PBSE examination cases.) |
A Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) who is the primary operator of an (1) extracorporeal device/system used during organ recovery that require extracorporeal circulation, used to manage the patient's physiological status or of an (2) extracorporeal device, including an oxygenator/de-oxygenator and pump, used to manage the physiologic state of isolated and separated human organs from the body, for potential transplant opportunities. |
Reservoir, blood pump, heat exchanger, oxygenator, extracorporeal circuit used accordingly with hemodynamic, temperature, and lab value monitoring. No simultaneous credit will be awarded for managing multiple organs.
|
|
5P Veno-Venous or Left Heart Bypass, Isolated Limb, Primary (Not eligible for PBSE examination cases.) |
A Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) who is the primary operator of an extracorporeal device used to perfuse specific vascular regions within the circulatory system or recirculate venous blood for purposes such as clot/tissue removal. the primary operator of an extracorporeal device used to deliver anticancer drugs directly to an arm, leg, or organ and manages the patient's physiological status. |
Blood pump, extracorporeal circuit used accordingly with hemodynamic/lab value monitoring. |
|
6P Ventricular Assist Device (VAD), Primary |
A Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) who is the primary operator of the Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) that provides cardiac support for the failing heart.
|
For each VAD case, one case credit per 24 hours will be awarded for initiating and managing VAD or bedside managing (6-hour minimum). No simultaneous credit will be awarded for managing multiple VAD patients in this time period. |
Updated 1/22/2024
Table B- SCPA
[A maximum of 15 SCPAs are allowed per reporting period.]
| Secondary Clinical Perfusion Activities (SCPA) | Clinical Definition | Core Elements |
|---|---|---|
|
1S CPB, First Assistant |
The “CPB First Assistant” is the Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) whom the hospital/institution recognizes as the assistant to the primary perfusionist during the conduction of perfusion. |
The “CPB First Assistant” must be documented within the operating suite and actively assisting during the operative case. Multiple First Assistant credits will not be allowed on concurrent operative procedures. Multiple pump runs per one OR visit equal one secondary case credit. |
|
2S Cardiopulmonary Bypass (CPB) Standby Procedures, and Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Standby Procedures |
A Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) who is the primary standby operator of the CPB machine which is used during cardiac surgeries that may require extracorporeal circulation to manage the patient's physiological status, or is the primary standby operator of the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenator (ECMO) that provides life support for respiratory and/or cardiac failure. |
Any procedure that may require immediate and onsite extracorporeal circulatory support. Standby procedures must be documented, requested by the attending physician, and verifiable in an audit. |
|
3S Intraperitoneal Hyperthermic* Chemoperfusion or Intrapleural Hyperthermic Chemoperfusion (HIPEC) |
A Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) who is the primary operator of an intraperitoneal or intrapleural device. |
A device with pump flow, circulation, temperature, monitoring, and regulation of chemotherapeutic fluids within abdominal or thoracic cavity for periods exceeding 30 minutes. Syringe infusion devices will not be counted as a SCPA. |
|
4S Normothermic Regional Perfusion (NRP), Ex Vivo Organ Perfusion, First Assistant |
A Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) who is the secondary operator of an extracorporeal device/system (1) used to manage the physiologic state of isolated and separated human organs from the body, for potential transplant opportunities (2) used to manage the patient physiological status. |
Reservoir, blood pump, heat exchanger, oxygenator, extracorporeal circuit used accordingly with hemodynamic, temperature, and lab value monitoring. No simultaneous credit will be awarded for managing multiple organs. |
|
5S High Fidelity Perfusion Simulation (HFPS) |
A Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) who is the primary operator of the heart-lung machine or ECMO circuit, used to manage physical and physiological variables during simulated perfusion scenarios taking place at an ABCP-recognized HFPS center. HFPS is the use of simulation modalities or mechanisms to create a realistic patient model or perfusion situation. |
HFPS must be an interactive process facilitated by a CCP using standardized medical simulation devices that integrate realistic perfusion events experienced during CPB procedures in a realistic surgical setting using a conventional heart-lung machine or ECMO circuit. Each HFPS or series of HFPS must have an education/briefing, simulation, and debriefing. The simulation/simulation series length must be no less than 50 minutes of active simulation activity. One case credit is awarded for each HFPS activity that meets or exceeds these guidelines. Each HFPS must include and retain a participant evaluation form. |
Documentation
The CCP must sign all hospital perfusion records in order for the designated authority to verify cases on the Clinical Activity Report during audits.
Clinical Activity Report
Clinical Activity Reports cover the period of July 1st of the previous year through June 30th. For new CCPs that become certified in the fall, the reporting period begins on the date of the certification examination through June 30th of the following year.
Each CCP must submit an annual Clinical Activity Report through the Online Filing System in order to document 40 clinical activities; 20 clinical activites are required for new CCPs (certified in the fall) for their first reporting cycle only. The report includes:
- a clinical case summary;
- an Authorization for Release of Information form;
- hospital address and designated authority information.
A complete Clinical Activity Report is required for annual recertification.
Audits
The American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion conducts an audit to ensure the accuracy of all reports in order to maintain high standards and quality assurance. A percentage of submitted reports are chosen randomly each year for audit.
The Clinical Activity Report (CAR) audit process is conducted by the Chief Perfusionist, Operating Room Director, or other designated hospital authority. The Clinical Activity Report and the signed Authorization for Release of Information form are sent to the designated authority for verification.
It is necessary for each CCP to list a designated hospital authority for each hospital in which cases are reported. The designated hospital authorities and the addresses for the authorities must be included when entering each case on the Online Filing System.
If the cases cannot be verified by the designated authority, the CCP is contacted to provide verification of the cases and explain discrepancies. The CCP is ultimately responsible for providing verification of the cases and explaining discrepancies. Should fraudulent cases be discovered, the issue is submitted to the ABCP Ethics Committee for appropriate action.
Late Fees
Certified perfusionists submitting recertification reports as of August 1st through August 31st are assessed a $100.00 Late Filing fee.
Recertification Notification
Upon receipt of complete recertification reports and appropriate fee(s), a new time-limited certificate will be issued to each CCP.
Certificates issued by the ABCP are the sole property of the ABCP and may be canceled at its discretion. By acceptance of the certificate, the holder agrees to return the certificate to the ABCP upon demand. Presentation and display of the certificate is permitted only when it is current and valid. Presentation, display or any other use of an outdated, invalid certificate is expressly prohibited.
Change of Address
Certified Clinical Perfusionists are responsible for informing the National Office of the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion of their current address. The CCP should update the Online Filing System with the address change and notifying the National Office.