Patients and Palliative Care Setting
Participants in this prospective study were selected from consecutive patients with advanced cancer who consented and were admitted to the Palliative Care Unit of the National Taiwan University Hospital during the period from September 2002 through December 2003. The inclusion criteria included age older than 20 years, and level of consciousness had to be clear enough (alert or lethargic consciousness) to report symptoms in Mandarin or Taiwanese on admission. The participants were receiving care provided by a multidisciplinary team consisting of physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, clinical Buddhist chaplains, and volunteers. The study was approved by the ethics committee at the National Taiwan University Hospital.