A research agenda for high-value palliative care

Palliative care has catapulted from being misunderstood and viewed cautiously by many clinicians to being among the most sought-after services by health care systems nationwide. This is the greatest possible testimony to the field’s potential value. However, because demand has quickly outstripped the supply of palliative care specialists, the field’s ability to sustainably provide high-value care is paradoxically threatened by its own success. We propose a research agenda organized around 5 key questions on the optimal organization and allocation of limited resources in specialty palliative care to close the gap between the workforce and patient need.