Advocacy comes from the Latin “advocatus,” which means “one called to aid.” 

It often takes many actions to promote and move the needle on an issue. These activities range from personal conversations and social media to influence public opinion to writing resolutions and contacting legislators to implement positive healthcare policies. 

In healthcare, advocacy can benefit both physicians and their patients. From a physician’s perspective, advocacy efforts can focus on staffing shortages and the workforce crisis, scope of practice laws, reimbursement hurdles and administrative burdens. In addition, physicians are uniquely qualified to serve as patient advocates — helping them navigate health literacy, access to services, coverage for routine screenings, patient safety and quality of care. 

The importance of advocacy is often overlooked in medical training. Since health policy is not commonly incorporated into undergraduate medical education curricula, many students are not familiar with relevant policy issues and may not understand the value of being involved in advocacy activities. Additionally, balancing academics and extracurricular activities leaves little time beyond the clinical realm to pursue activities that don’t yield immediate tangible results. 

However, in proposing legislation with the hope that it one day becomes policy, we are planting a seed of change for future generations. Although it might take time to see the impact of these efforts, advocacy is a critical component of medicine that can strengthen patient-physician relations, bolster quality of care and unify healthcare professionals in their fight for fair regulatory policies.

Getting involved in advocacy efforts at a local, state or federal level may seem daunting. Joining state medical societies and national associations — such as the AMA, the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) or the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) — is a great starting point. Volunteering in these organizations can provide valuable experience in advocacy, such as writing policy resolutions for consideration in the House of Delegates of these groups. Submitting a resolution for deliberation is an excellent way to contribute to policymaking and affords a chance for publication.

From a physician’s perspective, advocacy efforts can focus on staffing shortages and the workforce crisis, scope of practice laws, reimbursement hurdles and administrative burdens.

Although you don’t need prior advocacy experience to get involved, having a basic understanding of the issues impacting today’s healthcare system is helpful. Serving as an officer on the e-board of your medical school’s AMA, SOMA or AMSA chapter may help you get a foot in the door before joining a committee or running for a position on the national e-board.

Participating in the 2024 ACR Capitol Hill Day was a particularly rewarding experience since it revealed how advocacy can drive the future of radiology. Any ACR member could attend this gathering of radiologists and physicians in-training on the Hill, coordinated as a portion of the ACR Annual Meeting. Considering that less than five percent of the 118th Congress was represented by medical professionals, it is imperative that we educate government leaders on the biggest challenges and opportunities in radiology and healthcare. This means outreach through email, over the phone and through in person introductions.

During ACR’s Capitol Hill Day, participants had the opportunity to meet with members of the congressional delegations from different states to advocate for several policy reforms, including H.R. 2389/S. 1302, the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023. This Act was written to increase the number of Medicare-supported graduate medical education positions. By November 2024, the legislation gained significant support, with 192 co-sponsors in the House and nine co-sponsors in the Senate. 

The shortage of residency training positions could have serious implications for patient care — including longer wait times and delayed diagnoses, especially with a growing demand for imaging services. This demonstrates the need for continuous advocacy efforts at different levels of medical training and is crucial for finding potential solutions to the workforce crisis and other issues facing the specialty.

If you want to learn more about advocacy opportunities — to help pave the path to fair legislative and regulatory actions that support the positive evolution of radiology — consider applying to join the ACR Pre-RAN Subcommittee. Members convene regularly to discuss and evaluate advocacy news, practice resolution writing and learn from guest speakers’ experiences.

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