Research into hospice and palliative care is important in many ways. Robbins (45) provided four reasons for evaluating palliative care. First, government agencies and other funding sources that provide reimbursement for palliative care seek data to indicate that the services provided meet the needs of the patients and families. Second, hospital administrators and hospice administrators need assurance that the allocation of funds for specialty programs serves to raise the standard of care for patients with a terminal illness. From a palliative care clinician's point of view, the quality of services is paramount. Research needs to be conducted to ensure a high quality of care and to provide for the best clinical interventions in meeting the needs of patients and families. Creating an evidence base in hospice and palliative care music therapy will assist music therapy clinicians in establishing best practices in end-of-life care. Finally, new and existing forms of therapy need to be tested to ensure their efficacy. Although research with the terminally ill can be limited owing to ethical considerations, the literature needs to be enriched to include quantitative studies measuring the effects of music therapy on patients who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness.