IANS' HRA Certification
IANS is proud to begin offering certification in HRA. This program is the first of its kind, and we are offering it to IANS Members and non-members as well.
Why IANS Certification?
Practicing HRA requires a comprehensive understanding of the disease processes underpinning anal dysplasia, together with the ability to reliably detect relevant clinical manifestations.
HRA is the “gold standard” and a well-conducted HRA is pivotal to assessing anal cancer risk, and any response to HSIL treatments.
Certification is of recognized value in other specialties – e.g. colonoscopy, colposcopy. It provides a degree of documentation of properly trained practitioners. IANS Certification is based on these models.
IANS' expectations
Completion of regular audit cycles of clinical activities is fundamental to good clinical practice.
Most HRA Practitioners are expected to undergo the Certification process, including submission of practice quality assurance metrics.
Benefits of program participation
The “IANS Certification of Program Completion” confirms that a practitioner has met certain agreed standards. The value of Certification will depend on the local jurisdiction.
IANS Certification is not a guarantee technical expertise.
Who can apply for Foundational Certification?
Only Foundational Certification is currently available. Practitioners can apply if they have met the following minimum requirements:
- At least 5 years in regular HRA practice
- Conducting a minimum of 100 HRAs per year
- Have taken, or taught on, a recognized HRA course
- Are able to submit the necessary documentation
Foundational Certification will last for 5 years, after which practitioners will have to undergo the common re-certification processes.
Who cannot apply right now
If you cannot currently meet the above requirements, you may be able to apply for the Standard Certification Program, which will open in the Fall of 2026.
How much does it cost to apply for the Foundational Certification?
$100 for IANS members
$300 for non-members
There are no annual fees, however, there will be a small cost to recertify after five years.
What does the process of applying for Foundational Certification involve?
*currently Foundational Certification is being rolled out in small groups via email.
1. Fill out the initial registration questionnaire and pay the fee.2. IANS' certification committee will take up to 2 weeks to review your registration questionnaire.
3. If your application has been accepted, an email will be sent with instructions to complete the HRA logbook. The logbook needs to contain 20 logs of HRAs which you have completed in the last year. Please include a variety of cases. Please note:- All cases must include a cytological result taken within 6 months of the HRA
- No more than two cases can be included in which biopsies were not taken
- Where taken, at least 1 biopsy per patient must be sufficient for histological analysis
- At least 10 cases must have histologically proven HSIL or cancer
- At least 2 cases must include perianal biopsies
4. The IANS certification committee will review your logs and will let you know within 4 weeks if your HRA logbook needs any additional information or if you have been approved for Foundational Certification in HRA.
5. If you do not meet the minimum requirements for Foundational Certification, an email will be sent and your registration fee will be returned. You will be encouraged to reapply after in the Fall of 2025 once the Foundational Certification application closes.
