Abstract
Modern medicine made great advances in 20 century. Penicillin, discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928, is a remarkable achievement and has saved those people who should die of infective disease in early 20 century. More and more drugs, techniques and devices, like as CPR, mechanical ventilator, dialysis, ECMO, and other life-sustaining treatment were then evolved and prolong patient’s life significantly. However, these treatment modalities not only prolong lives and also prolong dying process. The impact of life quality of terminal disease is getting more concerned. Hospice care is a type of care that focuses on the palliation of end-stage or terminally ill patient's pain and other symptoms, and is attending to their emotional and spiritual needs. Modern hospice services were pioneered in the 1950s by Dame Cicely Saunders and then became the mainstream of modern medicine. Taiwan Hospice Organization, THO, founded by multidisciplinary specialist, including doctors, nurses, social workers, chaplains and volunteers, in 1995. Many hospice care related societies and foundations founded in the past 20 years and the relationship of cooperation and competition between these organizations was more and more complicated. By the tool of Mckinsey 7S framework, this study aims to assess and monitor changes in the internal situation of THO and to understand how the organizational elements interrelated. Furthermore, we try to help identify what needs to be realigned and reinforced to improve THO performance.