BMC Palliative Care is calling for submissions to our new Collection, Optimizing communication in palliative care. Communication is a clinical practice in palliative care but is complicated by personal and structural barriers including emotional distress, cultural and language differences, lack of training among healthcare providers, time constraints, and patients’ or families’ reluctance to discuss end-of-life issues. Strengthening communication between the team, patient, and family can optimize care coordination, reduce misunderstandings, and improve the overall quality of care.

Navigating communication barriers is key to building trust and honoring patients' needs and preferences. Emerging research is shedding light on these challenges and demonstrating how tailored strategies can improve the patient and family experience. For example, training in communication skills, across all interdisciplinary groups, can facilitate goals of care communication and shared decision-making. Communication research will shape how healthcare professionals approach palliative care communication, ultimately benefiting clinicians, patients, families, as well as the healthcare system.

We welcome research on optimizing communication in palliative care, with topics of interest including, but not limited to:

• Communication challenges when specialty palliative care is not available

• Palliative care conversations with family caregivers

• Communication interventions to address equity-centered palliative care

• Communication training for diagnosis and prognosis conversations

• Telehealth and palliative care communication

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being.

BMC Palliative Care is calling for submissions to our Collection on the challenging topic of pain assessment and control in palliative care.

Pain is a common symptom affecting the quality of life of more than half of patients with many advanced and progressive diseases. As it is a subjective phenomenon, effective pain relief in palliative patients depends mainly on a thorough assessment that identifies each patient's different physical, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects and on optimal interventions involving multiple disciplines. Despite the recent progress in pain physiology research and pharmacological management, the complexity of pain control is still a challenge for professionals, particularly for patients at the end of life.

In recognition of this important field, BMC Palliative Care encourages submissions including but not limited to those addressing:

• Pain assessment

• Pain assessment in non-communicative patients

• Causes of pain

• Neuropathic pain

• Pharmacological therapies and administration routes

• Side effects of medications

• Non-pharmacological interventions

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being.