Dear Colleagues and Friends,

On behalf of the Organizing Committee of the 23rd Annual Scientific Meeting of Japanese Society for Palliative Medicine (JSPM 2018), I am honored to invite you to participate in this conference. JSPM 2018 is one of the largest palliative care conferences in the world: more than 6000 health care professionals have registered.

“Quality Palliative and End-of-Life Care” is the theme of JSPM 2018. We established four core concepts to host the conference.
(1) To promote non-cancer palliative care
(2) How to organize community based palliative care in hyper-aging society
(3) Research and clinical implementation of Advance Care Planning
(4) Open to the world especially to Asia-Pacific region

We extended our conference date from 2 days to 3 days. We have an English-only session Day 2 and Day 3. We offer travel grant to the international participants who submit their research. We have invited more than 10 well-known palliative care researchers from the world including Professor Irene Higginson and Professor Sebastiano Mercadante.

In keeping with these theme and documents, doctors, nurses and researchers from Japan and overseas will be sharing their expertise and experiences during the plenary sessions, panel discussions and workshops. We are sure that medical students, hospice and palliative care volunteers and others interested in this area of work will find the conference useful in enhancing their knowledge through scientific updates and discussions.

The Organizing Committee comprising members of JSPM 2018 has been working hard to ensure that all JSPM 2018 participants will have a memorable experience in Kobe. Please take time to check the contents of the website about the planned scientific program of the conference.

My personal wish is for you to find not only the latest updates and knowledge at this conference, but also refreshment of body and soul as you meet with friends and warm-hearted people at this palliative care conference for people from throughout Japan and from different countries.
Welcome to Kobe!

With warmest wishes,

Yoshiyuki Kizawa
Chair, JSPM 2018 Organizing Committee &Secretory General
Japanese Society for Palliative Medicine