title: Comparison of the hospice systems in the United States, Japan and taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of hospice care is to provide the best possible quality of life both for people approaching the end of life and for their families and carers. The Korean government has been implementing a pilot project for hospital hospice services and trying to develop the national hospice system. To assist in the development of the Korean hospice system, the Korean government supported the present study comparing the hospice systems of three countries, United States, Japan, and Taiwan, which currently have a developed hospice system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from three countries were collected in the following ways: reviewing hospice related literature, searching government documents on the Internet, collecting government hospice data, surveying six hospice institutions in each country, and conducting an international workshop.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hospice system was evaluated by comparing hospice management systems and hospice cost systems. The comparison of the hospice management system included five items of hospice infra structures and four items of hospice services. The hospice cost system included four items: funding source, hospital hospice cost, day care hospice cost, and home hospice cost.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the comparison of three countries, the most interesting thing was that home hospice care accounted for more than 90% of all hospice services in the United States and Taiwan. The results of this study will aid the countries that are in the process of developing a hospice system including Korea, which has been implementing a pilot project only for hospital hospice services.
authors.affiliation: Professor, Nursing Policy Research Institute, College of Nursing, Yonsei University, Korea.
authors.forename: Chung Yul
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Professor, Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care, Keio University, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Komatsu
authors.affiliation: Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Emory University, USA.
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Professor, College of Nursing, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yann-Fen
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Nursing, College of Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju Campus, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Kyong
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Nursing Policy Research Institute, College of Nursing, Yonsei University, Korea.
authors.forename: Gwang Suk
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Full-time Instructor, College of Nursing, Eulji University, Korea.
authors.forename: Yoon Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Teaching Assistant, College of Nursing, Yonsei University, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Sook
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ko