末期照護：遠距安寧療護

The Application of Telehospice in Terminal Care

末期疾病的病人，在無法治癒時，可選擇以安寧緩和療護為主的照護模式。據統計約六成左右的病人期待在家臨終，許多因素都會影響病人選擇是否在家照顧的意願，遠距醫療科技的使用，將有助於解決末期病人及家屬在居家安寧照護時所面臨的困境。遠距安寧照護利用媒體或通訊科技，讓安寧團隊的成員，有更多的時間和機會對末期的病人及家屬提供協助及照顧服務。主要目的並不是取代現有的照護模式，讓末期的病人及家屬有另外一種選擇，由服務端主動關懷，提供持續性醫療照護，以減輕家屬居家照顧上的困境，並得到安寧醫療團隊的支持，提升照護的滿意度。遠距安寧療護是末期社區照護困境下的解決途徑，未來如何被介紹給專業人員將成為新的挑戰。

Hospice care is a medical option other than the curative treatments for terminally ill patients. About 60% of cancer patients preferred home as the place of death. However, there are many factors that affect the terminal cancer patient and family caregiver’s preference of choosing home based hospice care. The application of using telecommunication technologies in the end-of-life care would allow the hospice care team and other professionals to have increased access to patients and families. The main purpose of telehospice care is not the service that replaced personal care but allows care recipients to receive additional support from providers. It can have great influence for patients and families in choosing home-based hospice care thus improve patient’s quality of life. Moreover, telehospice care can be used successfully to solve the practical issues in the community-based hospice care in supporting the palliative care for adult patients in their home. However, how to apply it in the clinical practice for all will be a future challenge for health care professionals.