Journal of Palliative Medicine

Journal Information  

• Manuscript Submission Site: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/palliative  
• Editorial Office Contact: PalMed_EO@liebertpub.com  
• Support Contact: prosupport@liebertpub.com  
• Journal Model: Hybrid (Open Access option)  
• Blinding: Double Blind. Please include all identifying information is a separate title page 
• File formatting requirement stage: Upon submission  
• Instant Online Option (immediate publication of accepted version): No  
• Submission Fee: $49 USD
• Average time to initial decision: 20 days 

  Manuscript Types and Guidelines  

Word limits do NOT pertain to the abstract, disclosure statements, author contribution statements, funding information, acknowledgments, tables, figure legends, or references.  

 Description of Manuscript Types  

• Brief Report- This category is for research that is less well developed than reported in an original manuscript. The results of preliminary studies, pilot programs, or small series on which a hypothesis can be formulated and tested in a subsequent study are good candidates for this category. JPM is  particularly interested in fostering the careers of junior investigators, or those new to the field of palliative medicine research. 
• Brief Communications- Results of research or the development of ideas may be reported in a Brief Communication. Brief communications are often the richest source of new insights or serendipitous observations on which the future of the field may turn. This section is meant to transmit information that is much more ‘raw’ or ‘untested’ but holds promise in furthering the field through stimulating further research, discussion, or resolving controversy. 
• Editorial/Special Report- From time to time, an unsolicited report from an important group or meeting, or a description of a phenomenon in the field, or a particular point of view deserves publication. These decisions rest solely with the Editor-in-Chief.  
• Personal Reflection- One of the most widely read features in the journal, the personal reflections are written in a way that illustrates the personal engagement with the field—either its struggles or its joys or the complex combination of the two. Prose and poetry have all found a place here. Acceptance is at the sole discretion of the Managing Editor and Editor.  
• Letters to the Editor-provide a forum for readers to comment on articles published in recent issues of Journal of Palliative Medicine.
• Case Discussions in Palliative Medicine presents case-based examinations of topics relevant to the practice of palliative care. The Journal welcomes manuscripts that fit the traditional case report paradigm, e.g., a description of a rare diagnosis, unusual outcome, or new treatment modality. Reports of meaningful cases that do not necessarily report something “unusual,” but that would be of interest to a broad palliative care audience are also encouraged. We strongly encourage use of the existing evidence base. The main ‘outcome’ against which we will measure submissions is:  
  • will a community physician or nurse practitioner be able to look at this, and  
  • feel s/he has attended a worthwhile discussion, and  
  • come away with one thing s/he might do differently in his/her practice?  

In addition to traditional medical cases, The Journal welcomes cases illustrating issues that go beyond medical knowledge and patient care. Using the six ACGME competencies as an inspiration, we encourage submission of case discussions that address communication issues, ethics, professionalism, and systems-based practice.  

Clinical Palliative Care Program  

In order to improve the reader’s ability to evaluate and apply the results of research, include a paragraph describing the characteristics of the clinical program if it is involved in the research using the following structure. Program Structure. Indicate the parent organization or organizational home (e.g., hospital, free-standing hospice, home health agency, physician group, etc.). Indicate the payment sources (e.g., fee-for-service, value-based payment, philanthropy, etc.). Team Staffing. Indicate the total full-time equivalent (FTE) for each of the disciplines involved in the team (e.g., physician, advanced practice provider, registered nurse, social work, chaplain, pharmacist, etc.). Indicate the number with specialist palliative care certification. Do not include those who are matrixed but not designated to the palliative care team. Program Availability. Describe the settings in which palliative care is delivered (e.g., hospital, nursing home, ambulatory outpatient, home). Indicate hours and days per week that dedicated staff are available to patients and families. Indicate the source or mechanism of referrals, including the use of automatic referral triggers or criteria. Patient volume and interactions. Indicate the average daily census, the average visits per year, or penetration rate, average visits per patient and average length of service or stay in the palliative care program. You do not need to count the number of words in this required paragraph in the total word count of the manuscript.  

References 

Journal of Palliative Medicine uses Mary Ann Liebert's Vancouver reference format. Templates are available in Zotero and through the CSL Style Repository. An Endnote template is also available.  

Liebert Vancouver Style: Order of Citation  

• Reference List:  Prepared in sequential order as cited in text.  

• In-text Citations: All references must be cited in text in numerical order, set in superscript Arabic numerals outside of any punctuation.  Do not set reference numbers in parentheses or brackets.  To cite several references at once, use commas to separate non-sequential citations and use dashes to separate sequential citations; do not include spaces.  Ex:  3,7,12–15  

• Journal titles should follow the abbreviation style of PubMed/Medline.  

• Include among the references any articles that have been accepted but have not yet published; identify the name of publication and add "In Press." If the reference has been published online, provide the DOI number in place of the page range. 

Style Examples for Reference List:  

PaperPal Preflight

The Paperpal Preflight service is available for this journal. PaperPal Preflight allows authors to check their Original Research manuscripts for common errors prior to submitting a manuscript for consideration. Please note that this does not guarantee that your paper will pass all submission or other checks, nor that it will be considered for review.

The checks are configured for Original Research manuscripts only and may not be applicable to other manuscript types. There may be additional requirements for submission. Please review the full instructions for authors for guidelines.

The basic service is free. PaperPal preflight offers an optional fee-based service that will provide a report showing tracked changes and potential modifications. Please note that if this service is used, a clean copy of the manuscript must be uploaded to the submission system.

There is no obligation to use either the free or paid service. No editorial, review, nor any other decisions will be dependent on its use.

All manuscripts must be submitted through the journal’s ScholarOne Manuscripts site.