title: Improving the Quality of Palliative Care Through National and Regional Collaboration Efforts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The measurement and reporting of the quality of care in the field of palliation has become a required task for many health care leaders and specialists in palliative care. Such efforts are aided when organizations collaborate together to share lessons learned.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors reviewed examples of quality-improvement collaborations in palliative care to understand the similarities, differences, and future directions of quality measurement and improvement strategies in the discipline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three examples were identified that showed areas of robust and growing quality-improvement collaboration in the field of palliative care: the Global Palliative Care Quality Alliance, Palliative Care Quality Network, and Project Educate, Nurture, Advise, Before Life Ends. These efforts exemplify how shared-improvement activities can inform improved practice for organizations participating in collaboration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  National and regional collaboratives can be used to enhance the quality of palliative care and are important efforts to standardize and improve the delivery of palliative care for persons with serious illness, along with their friends, family, and caregivers.
authors.affiliation: Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC. arif.kamal@duke.edu.
authors.forename: Arif H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Kamal
authors.forename: Krista L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bakitas
authors.forename: J Nicholas
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Dionne-Odom
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zubkoff
authors.forename: Imatullah
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akyar
authors.forename: Steven Z
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Pantilat
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: O'Riordan
authors.forename: Ashley R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bragg
authors.forename: Kara E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Bischoff
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bull
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods