Advocacy in radiology.

INTRODUCTION Technological advances and increased utilization have helped establish radiology as one of the preeminent professions inmedicine.However,we are now facing serious challenges as the United States embarks on a generational reassessment of health care services, financing, and priorities. Radiology, in particular, with its prominent profile, has been and will continue to be at risk. How we practice and are reimbursed will increasingly be determined by federal agencies, such as the Independent Payment Advisory Board and the United States Preventative Services Task Force. Although advocacy and lobbying can be controversial, they are critical tools for our collective voice to have input in the process.