Editorial

Abstract

To Our Readers: With this issue, the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management—the official journal of the U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee—is inaugurating a formal relationship with the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO). NHPCO, which represents the more than 3000 hospice programs in the United States, has a mission founded on the goals of quality and access. Through a broad array of initiatives, NHPCO aims to improve the quality of palliative care, particularly palliative care at the end of life, and increase access to hospice as the most important and most comprehensive approach to providing this care in the United States. The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management now also becomes the official journal of the NHPCO. The partnership between JPSM and NHPCO will further many key goals:•To improve hospice and palliative care by bringing more evidence-based practice to the bedside,•To encourage research in hospice and palliative care venues by demonstrating the feasibility of participation in research to improve practice,•To demonstrate NHPCO's commitment to fostering research,•To stimulate new research, and•To increase the dissemination of research being conducted in hospice and palliative care programs NHPCO will contribute peer-reviewed articles to the Journal on a monthly basis. Contributions will include original research from both a clinical and health services perspective, short practice reports that will emphasize improvement in both quality and access to hospice and palliative care, commentary, and general information for hospice and palliative care professionals. Through the pages of JPSM, NHPCO intends to inform, enlighten, and challenge the palliative care community, including NHPCO members. The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management has evolved into one of the most highly respected and cited journals in the emerging field of hospice and palliative care. The relationship with NHPCO will enhance the Journal's major aims—the dissemination of information and the fostering of professional dialogue about important research and advances in practice in the disciplines of palliative care, hospice, and pain management. The challenges we face today will lead to opportunities in the delivery of compassionate care. Providing the most appropriate care at the most appropriate time requires that we have access to accurate information and vehicles for communication. We cannot move blindly forward and adequately serve the needs of the ill. The Journal of Pain and Symptom Management is a tool to be used as we work toward success in this effort. The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. the U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee, and Elsevier, Inc. look forward to a productive and beneficial future based on our common goal to inform care with knowledge combined with compassion, dignity, and excellence.