Michelle S. Gittler, MD, FAAPMR talks about a physician’s role in advocacy, how to differentiate advocacy and agency from activism, and why it’s important for advocacy training to become more prominent in training future physicians. She also talks about the physician's responsibility to be health advocates, and what physicians can do to positively influence public health and policy.

Learning Objectives
After completing this enduring material, the participant should be able to:

• Differentiate advocacy and agency from activism
• Identify the role of the physician in patient advocacy
• Specify opportunities for advocacy locally, regionally and nationally

Accreditation Statement
The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Designation of Credit
The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Financial Disclosures
AAPM&R requires all individuals who are in a position to control the content of an educational activity to disclose all relevant financial relationships with any commercial interest, which is any entity producing, marketing, re-selling or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on, patients. Disclosures are made in written form prior to the start of the educational activity and any potential conflicts of interest that exist are resolved prior to the start of the activity through AAPM&R’s Conflict of Interest Disclosure and Resolution Policy Process. Individuals in a position to control content and their disclosed financial relationships are listed below.

Faculty
Michele S. Gittler, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

AAPM&R Medical Education Committee
John C. Cianca, MD: Ownership or partnership with Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Consultants, LLC.
Karen P. Barr, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Anna-Christina Bevelaqua, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Rachel A. Brakke Holman, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Joseph E. Burris, MD: Serves on the Speakers Bureau for, and received clinical research grants from Allergan.
David S. Cheng, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Theresa A. Gillis, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Kevin N. Hakimi, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Rita G. Hamilton, DO: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Scott E. Klass, MD, MS, ATCR: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Chaitanya R. Konda, DO: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Sam Mayer, MD: Royalties from Demos Medical Publishing.
Ameet S. Nagpal, MD MS MEd: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Sunil Sabharwal, MD: Royalities from Demos Publishing; board member, American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

AAPM&R CME Committee
Karen P. Barr, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Cherry C. Junn, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Sheryl R. Levin, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Kentaro Onishi, DO: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Evan R. Peck, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Cynthia G. Pineda, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Patricia T. Tan, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Brionn K. Tonkin, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Kristin A. Wong, MD: Disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

No other planners, faculty or other individuals in control of content disclosed any relevant financial relationships.

FDA Disclosures
All faculty members for this activity have disclosed they do not intend to discuss or demonstrate any pharmaceutical or medical device for which FDA clearance has not been approved.