Table 1.

Founding Principles of the PCRC

The PCRC will be: An interdisciplinary group whose mission is to decrease the burden of suffering among patients and their families. Committed to developing meaningful, sustainable palliative care research, which is patient-focused and uses measurable outcomes valued by patients, colleagues, regulators, and funders embedded in practice. Able to efficiently respond to research requests from independent investigators, government sponsors, and industries. Comprised of sites of varied skills, demographics, practice patterns, and health care delivery systems, so as to be able to match study sites to the needs of particular research studies. Prepared to help build study sites’ ability to increase their knowledge of research methodology, and of how to protect human subjects. Willing to formulate standardized procedures, data collection methods, and management strategies. Responsive to regulatory and ethical requirements. Able to connect innovative ideas with clinically relevant, measurable outcomes and rapidly implement them to create change. Engaged in energizing and training future generations of palliative care researchers. Willing to provide actionable research findings to inform health policy.

Abbreviation: PCRC, Palliative Care Research Cooperative.