安寧緩和醫療會診是安寧療護團隊與其他單位病患、家屬及醫護人員溝通安寧療護理念及醫療資源分配的適當時機。本研究以中部某醫學中心原照護單位會診安寧緩和醫療科的1167人次之癌症病患爲對象，進行安寧緩和醫療需求評估。研究對象主要轉介來源是病房(84.4%)和急診(15.6%)｡有1129人次(96.7%)經會診醫師評估爲適合進入安寧照顧服務系統，會診醫師建議事項與實際結果一致佔71.5%，不一致佔28.5%。不一致的原因中，以病人及家屬認同安寧理念同意轉床(50.3%)爲最多，其次爲安寧共同照護護理師未收案(15.2%)，病況惡化(14.9%)、會診24小時內病患已出院(5.6%)。不適合進入安寧照顧服務的病患有38人次(3.3%)，原因包括不合收案條件(42.2%)、想再接受積極抗癌治療(21.0%)、對安寧療護有誤解，雖經說明澄清仍不願意接受(10.5%)及在急診病患呈瀕死狀態要留一口氣回家(10.5%)等。由本研究得知：幫助醫護人員、病患及家屬建立正確安寧療護理念，安寧療護團隊的人力充足，安寧療護即早介入疾病照護過程，才能讓癌末病患順利進入安寧照顧服務系統，接受全方位的緩和醫療照護。

Hospice palliative care consultation provides an opportunity for concept sharing and medical recourses allocation for the hospice team, patients, their family members and healthcare staff. The purpose of this study is to assess the needs of hospice palliative care for cancer patients based on 1167 consultations completed by the Department of Palliative Medicine referred from various medical units in a medical center in central Taiwan. Research subjects were mainly from ordinary medical wards (84.4%) and the department of Emergency (15.6%). Hospice palliative care consultant evaluated the patients and 1129 of them (96.7%) were recommended into hospice palliative services. The consistency and inconsistency of consultation recommendations and actual allocation result are 71.5% and 28.5% respectively. The most common reason (50.3%) contributing to this inconsistency is that the patients and family members accepted the concept of hospice care, and thus agreed to transfer. Other reasons are the shared care nurse's inability to see the patient (15.2%), patients' deteriorated conditions (14.9%), and patients' discharge within 24 hours from the referral made (5.6%). Only 38 subjects (3.3%) were not recommended into hospice palliative services. The reasons include the following: patients' not being qualified based on the criteria (42.2%), patients' wish to undergo active treatments (21.0%), patients' misunderstanding on hospice care (10.5%), and near-dying patients' strong will to go home before death (10.5%). In order to admit cancer patients in terminal stage into hospice system for a further comprehensive palliative care, healthcare staff, patients and family members need to understand the concept of hospice care. This research suggests that it is important to increase hospice care team manpower, and intervention should be made earlier into the caring process for cancer patients.