Why It’s Time to Purchase an Electronic Health Record System
Kenneth G. Adler, MD, MMM
The old reasons for holding off may have lost their validity.

Negotiating Your Semi-Retirement Package
Daniel M. Bernick, JD, MBA
The right contract can help you reduce your workload and ease into retirement on your terms.

What Motivates Staff?
C. Carolyn Thiedke, MD
Good wages and pleasant working conditions are important, but true motivation stems from something deeper.

Five Ways to Retain Good Staff
Roger Shenkel, MD, and Cathy Gardner
The most effective strategies won’t cost you a dime.

Do You Have the Right Malpractice Insurance Policy?
David R. Dearden, JD, and Michael R. Burke, JD
Here's how to make sure your expensive policy doesn't contain any unpleasant surprises.

EDITORIAL
Spoofing Spurious Science
Thomas L. Horton, MD
Statistics can be skewed, as shown in this satirical study of the risks surrounding premature aging and death.

GETTING PAID
Navigating the CMS Web Site
Kent J. Moore
A guide to unearthing answers at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Web site.

CODING & DOCUMENTATION
Answers to Your Questions
Kent J. Moore
A limit to 99214? • When someone else discharges your hospitalized patient • Coding a flu shot • Coding for a delivery by a resident • Same-day E/M & circumcision • Coding assessment and CPR • Observation to inpatient status • Coding for sports event coverage • ICD-9 code for hearing loss • Maintenance of a PICC line

IMPROVING PATIENT CARE
Estimating the Risks of Coronary Angioplasty
Mark H. Ebell, MD, MS
Clinical decision rules make it easy to give patients more precise estimates of their risks of complications.

BALANCING ACT
Using Updates to Ease Your Workday and Your Mind
Pamela J. Vaccaro, MA, CSP
Providing simple updates can relieve worried patients, calm stressed-out colleagues and give you peace of mind.

EDITOR'S PAGE
A Gift for Our Peer Reviewers: CME Credit
Robert L. Edsall
FPM's peer reviewers will soon have something more than satisfaction to show for their efforts.

LETTERS
An apostle of "big ideas" • Including deaf patients in the conversation • Rational world a better environment for physicians • Accentuating the positive in family medicine • Creating the lifestyle you want • Put yourself in the patients' shoes • Crunching the numbers • "Listen" article inspires med student

MONITOR
AAFP Congress moves to create political action committee, approves other resolutions • Administrative tasks cost practices thousands • What patients want • Practice Pearls

PRACTICE DIARY
Sanford J. Brown, MD
Horses vs. zebras VI • A missed appointment

ASK FPM
Starting a practice in a health professional shortage area • Dictation reminders • Medicare teaching rules