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 new Collection, Prescribed medicine for palliative care: practices, safety, and efficacy. Central to palliative care is enhancing the quality of life for patients by alleviating pain and managing symptoms through the appropriate use of prescribed medicines, which can range from analgesics to adjuvant therapies. Understanding the challenges and best practices surrounding prescribed medication use, safety concerns, and efficacy is critical for improving patient outcomes.

Recent advances, such as the integration of personalized medicine and evidence-based guidelines for medication management, can help manage symptoms more effectively as well as enhance communication between healthcare professionals and patients about optimal treatment choices. Future advancements may include enhanced drug delivery systems tailored to the unique demands of palliative care and increased understanding of polypharmacy.

We welcome submissions that explore medication strategies that prioritize patient comfort and safety. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Evaluating the efficacy of pain management medications
• Drug delivery systems in palliative care
• Safety concerns in the medication process
• End-of-life care practices and medication management
• Effective communication about medication use and safety

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.