Practice & Technology Editor - Neil A. Busis, MD, FAAN

Welcome to the Practice section of AAN.com. We plan to make this section the premier destination on the Internet for clinical neurologists and their staff who want to be successful in both today's-and tomorrow's-medical environment. Using the unique power of the Internet, we will provide essential practice resources that can be accessed at the point of care. Ultimately, we hope to establish an interactive online neurologic community where we can share our insights and experiences. With your participation, we can create a valuable electronic knowledge base and tool kit for anyone who diagnoses and treats patients with neurologic conditions.

This section will be both a hub and a portal; a hub because it will highlight the important work of the AAN's Medical Economics and Management (MEM) and Practice Committees and their subcommittees, and of the Business and Research Administrators in Neurology Society (BRAINS); and a portal because we will link to essential external resources such as the latest coding and reimbursement policies.

We will cover basic and advanced topics central to the economics and practice of clinical neurology, including:

• Diagnosis (ICD-9) and evaluation and management and procedure (CPT) coding
• Regulatory issues and third party payer relations
• Neurology practice management and health information technologies including electronic health records
• Pay-for-performance and related quality initiatives
• Practice guidelines to assist members in clinical decision-making
• Expert information regarding issues of therapeutic efficacy and diagnostic techniques
• Patient safety
• Practice improvement

The key element for success will be you, our readers. We need your input on what works and what doesn't, what we should add and what we should revise as we move forward with the development of this site.