Knowledge of Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) among Medical Students in a Tertiary Hospital in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria

Background: Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) remain a common cause of death, functional disability, emotional suffering and economic burden among hospitalized patients. Knowledge of HAIs is important in its prevention and control. This study seeks to assess the knowledge of Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) among medical students in a Tertiary Hospital in Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study done in October 2019 among clinical medical students using a Multistage sampling technique. Data was collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire and analyzed using the IBM SPSS 20 (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences). Ethical approval was granted by Bingham University Teaching Hospital, Ethics Committee, Jos, Plateau State. Results: A total of 219 students in the clinical arm of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences were selected. A higher proportion (97.7%) of respondents knew about Hospital Acquired Infections and 85.4% knew that Hospital Acquired infections occur in the hospital, and (86.3%) considered patients contagious with half (58.9%) considered patients as the most important source of HAIs, followed by care givers (13.2%), then doctors including medical students and interns (10.0%) and lastly nurses (8.7%). The majority of respondents (70.8%) considered Surgical Wound Infections to be the most commonly occurring HAI, followed by UTIs (69.9%), RTIs (61.2%), BSIs (37.0%) and others (0.9%). The clinical thermometer was the instrument that most commonly transmits HAIs (82.6%), then followed by stethoscope (62.1%), white coats (53.9%), and blood pressure cuff (51.1%). Most respondents knew the infectious substances, like blood (96.3%), nasal discharge (82.6%), saliva (85.3%), and faeces (79.4%) transmitted HAIs, 72.6% of the respondents said that they were aware of the recommended hand washing techniques by WHO. Conclusion: The majority of students 91.3% had good knowledge while 8.7% had poor knowledge of HAIs. Lower classes had more respondents with poor knowledge. This finding was statistically significant (p = 0.002, Chi-square 12.819). Students are encouraged to keep up the level of knowledge they have about HAIs. These students can help improve the knowledge of those whose knowledge level is low. Government and NGOs should support sponsorship for capacity-building events targeted at HAIs for healthcare workers and medical students.

Analysis of Internal Control Management Problems in Hospital Finance and Accounting

This paper outlines the internal control management of hospital accounting and finance,introducing its concept,importance,and objectives.It then analyzes the problems existing in the internal control management of hospital accounting and finance,including an unsound management system,insufficient system implementation,inadequate risk assessment and control capabilities,poor information communication,weak internal supervision,and uneven personnel quality.The reasons for these problems are also analyzed,including outdated management concepts,irrational organizational structures,imperfect training and incentive mechanisms,low levels of information technology,and changes in the external environment.This paper proposes improvement measures for the internal control management of hospital accounting,including enhancing the management system,strengthening system implementation,improving risk assessment and control capabilities,enhancing the information communication mechanism,strengthening internal supervision,improving personnel quality,advancing information technology,and adapting to changes in the external environment.

Study on the Changes of Medical Income Structure in Governmentrun Hospitals of Traditional Chinese Medicine from 2012 to 2021

Objective To study the changing characteristics and trend of medical income structure in the government-run hospitals of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),evaluate the effects of relevant reform measures,and to put forward corresponding suggestions for further optimizing their income structure.Methods The data related to the average medical income of government-run hospitals of TCM from 2012 to 2021 were sorted out.Then,descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the changes of related indicators.Besides,structural change method was applied to investigate the changes of outpatient income and inpatient income.Results and Conclusion From 2012 to 2021,the growth of medical income in government-run hospitals of TCM tended to be stable,and the proportion of medical service income increased from 22.62%(2012)to 29.38%(2021),but the average annual growth rate was only 0.68%.The main items that caused the change of outpatient income structure were medicine revenue,laboratory tests,diagnosis and treatment,and the cumulative contribution rate was 89.15%.The main items that caused the change of inpatient income structure were medicine revenue,sanitary materials,and auxiliary examinations income,with a cumulative contribution rate of 80.04%.However,the contribution rate of registration,diagnosis,treatment,surgery and nursing income reflecting the value of medical personnel’s technical labor was relatively small.The medical income structure of government-run hospitals of TCM underwent great changes and gradually became reasonable,but the medical service income increased slowly,and not all indicators achieved the expectations.To promote the sustainable development of public hospitals of TCM and enable them to provide high-quality and efficient TCM medical and health services,it is necessary to further improve the relevant policy mechanism.

The Evolving Structure of Multi-Hospital Systems in the US: Focus on California

Objectives: Hospital consolidation and the growth of multi-hospital systems are generating media headlines in the US. While there is a growing literature on the role of multi-hospital systems in the US health care system, it is still quite limited. This study helps fill the gap by documenting and describing the structure and evolution of multi-hospital systems in California over a recent 18-year period. Methods: Descriptive analysis of a hospital level longitudinal database covering the period 2002-2019 in California. Results: The total number of hospitals declined by 40 hospitals, from 445 to 405, over the study period and the total number of multi-hospital systems increased substantially from 14 systems in 2002 to 30 systems in 2019. As a result, the number and proportion of all California hospitals that were part of a multi-hospital system grew—from 177 in 2002 to 238 in 2019. By 2019, 59% of all hospitals were part of systems (compared to 40% in 2002). The size distribution of multi-hospital systems in California changed substantially over time. In the early period, larger systems dominated the system landscape. Now, half of all systems have 5 or fewer hospitals compared to 29% in 2002, while the percentage of systems with 25 or more members has declined from 25% to just 7%. Interestingly, the clinical service mix of hospital systems has changed substantially. In 2002, all 14 systems were largely acute care focused. By 2019, less than half of systems had acute care as their only and primary focus. Conclusions: Combined, these findings provide insight into the development, evolution and growing role of hospitals systems in our health care system and identify new areas for further research.

Maturity Assessment of Hospital Information Systems Based on Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM)— Private Hospital Cases in Iran

Introduction: Today, information technology is considered as an important national development principle in each country which is applied in different fields. Health care as a whole and the hospitals could be regarded as a field and organizations with most remarkable IT applications respectively. Although different benchmarks and frameworks have been developed to assess different aspects of Hospital Information Systems (HISs) by various researchers, there is not any suitable reference model yet to benchmark HIS in the world. Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) has been currently presented and is globally well-known to benchmark the rate of HIS utilization in the hospitals. Notwithstanding, this model has not been introduced in Iran so far. Methods: This research was carried out based on an applied descriptive method in three private hospitals of Isfahan—one of the most important provinces of Iran—in the year 2015. The purpose of this study was to investigate IT utilization stage in three selected private hospitals. Conclusion: The findings revealed that HIS is not at the center of concern in studied hospitals and is in the first maturity stage in accordance with EMRAM. However, hospital managers are enforced and under the pressure of different beneficiaries including insurance companies to improve their HIS. Therefore, it could be concluded that these types of hospitals are still far away from desirable conditions and need to enhance their IT utilization stage significantly.

Medication Error (ME) in the Pediatrics Service of the University Teaching Hospital (CHU) of Bouaké(Côte d’Ivoire)

Introduction: Medication error (ME) is a common cause of childhood morbidity and mortality reported in developed countries. It has not yet been described in the pediatric services in Cote d’Ivoire. Objective: To evaluate ME in pediatrics for the improvement of professional practice. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study conducted in the service of pediatrics at the University Teaching Hospital (CHU) of Bouaké from January 11 to February 25, 2016. It involved 204 children hospitalized and treated with drugs. The variables studied were the prescription, dispensing and administration of the drugs. Results: A total of 483 prescriptions notes were recorded for 733 therapeutic lines, i.e. 2.3 prescriptions notes and 3.6 lines per child. The overall prevalence of ME was 31% (prescription 83%, dispensing 0%, administration 11%). The prescription error concerned the illegible writing (20%), the omission of the stamp & signature (47%), the omission of the date (33%), weight (66%), age (25%) and name of the child (9%).The drug name and the dosage were incorrect in 99% and 1% respectively. Regarding the administration error, care was provided by a person without a nursing qualification in 65.5% of cases. On the patient’s care record, the care giver’s name was omitted in 100%, the child’s name in 57% and the date in 47%. The route of administration and the administered dose were each incorrect in 5%. The student nurses and assistant nurse caregivers committed more prescription errors than doctors and nurses and midwives (p= 0,000 X2 = 44.91). Administration error was not significantly related to the service, the socio-professional category, the gender and the age of the patient. Conclusion: EM is common in pediatrics at the University Teaching Hospital (CHU) of Bouaké. To prevent it, it is necessary to strengthen the staff’s capacity to prescribe and administer the drug in children.

Medication Side Effect Profiles in PD Patients in a Safety-Net Hospital

Background: Compulsive behavior, dyskinesias, motor fluctuations, and hallucinations are common Parkinson’s disease (PD) medication side effects. These are yet to be examined in relation to race and level of education. The goal of this analysis was to identify socioeconomic or clinical variables that are associated with compulsive behavior, dyskinesias, motor fluctuations, and hallucinations in patients in a safety-net hospital. Methods: A movement disorder patient database containing 452 patients with idiopathic PD was analyzed for differences in PD medication side effects using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Race, sex, and level of education were evaluated as possible confounders. Results: A greater proportion of the patients in this study were Caucasian males. The only variable associated with compulsive behavior was age, with higher age having a protective effect (p = 0.0336). Disease duration (defined as time since the onset of symptoms), diagnosis duration (time since formal diagnosis), and level of education were significantly associated with dyskinesia inunivariate analysis (p =< 0.0001, <0.0001, 0.1236 respectively). However, diagnosis duration was the only variable significantly associated with dyskinesia in multivariate analysis (p = 0.0038), in addition to a borderline significant association when comparing individuals with graduate degree to those who had completed high school education or less (p = 0.0599), with a protective effect of higher education. Disease duration, diagnosis duration, and use of monoamineoxidase inhibitors were also significantly associated with motor fluctuations in the univariate analysis, while only diagnosis duration was significantly associated with motor fluctuations in multivariate analysis (p = 0.0035) with longer diagnosis duration associated with higher risk of motor fluctuations. Age, disease duration, and diagnosis duration were associated with an increased risk of hallucinations in univariate analysis (p =< 0.0001, <0.0001, <0.0001 respectively), but age and disease duration were the only variables associated with hallucinations in multivariate analysis (p = 0.0009, 0.1196 respectively). Race was not associated with a higher risk of compulsive behavior, dyskinesias, motor fluctuations, or hallucinations. Conclusion: Compulsive behavior, dyskinesias, motor fluctuations, and hallucinations in our PD population may be associated with differences in socioeconomic status and access to care, but not with differences in race.

Medication Error and Interprofessional Communication-Related Factors Contributing to Hospitalisation in Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Australia

Background: Population ageing is a worldwide phenomenon. It is common for older adults to develop multiple age-related illnesses and the prevalence of multimorbidity increases substantially with age. Multimorbid adults are frequently treated with several concurrent medications and the regimen may be complex requiring multiple steps in the preparation of a medication prior to its administration. Polypharmacy is a concerning trend and older adults have a 100% risk of experiencing adverse drug events when taking ten or more medications concurrently. Discharge summaries communicating the number of medications, changes made to medication regimens during hospitalisations and the requirement for ongoing monitoring in the community are often incomplete. The aim of this study was to investigate contributing factors to medication-related hospitalisation, length of stay or readmission in older community-dwelling persons and examine the quality of discharge summaries. Methods: Descriptive and correlational analyses of demographic, clinical, admission, readmission, length of stay and medication variables were examined in Australia in 2016-2018. Discharge summaries were analysed for completeness, timeliness and interprofessional communication. Results: There were 295 participants, mean age 80 years, 55% were female, taking an average of 11 prescribed medications and with a mean Medication Regimen Complexity Index score of 34. Medication errors that were unrecognised at the time of hospitalisation were present in 19% of the sample. Factors associated with medication error were older age and a longer median length of stay. Fewer than 52% of these older patients had detailed discharge summaries. Conclusion: The prevalence of polypharmacy and medication regimen complexity at admission was high. A high proportion of older adults on medical units may have unrecognised medication errors impacting their admission. Medical discharge summaries are inadequately addressing this issue for patients returning to the care of their family physician.

German critical incident reporting system database of prehospital emergency medicine: Analysis of reported communication and medication errors between 2005–2015

BACKGROUND: Communication failure in prehospital emergency medicine can affect patient safety as it does in other areas of medicine as well. We analyzed the database of the critical incident reporting system for prehospital emergency medicine in Germany retrospectively regarding communication errors.METHODS: Experts of prehospital emergency medicine and risk management screened the database for verbal communication failure, non-verbal communication failure and missing communication at all.RESULTS: Between 2005 and 2015, 845 reports were analyzed, of which 247 reports were considered to be related to communication failure. An arbitrary classifi cation resulted in six different kinds: 1) no acknowledgement of a suggestion; 2) medication error; 3) miscommunication with dispatcher; 4) utterance heard/understood improperly; 5) missing information transfer between two persons; and 6) other communication failure.CONCLUSION: Communication defi cits can lead to critical incidents in prehospital emergency medicine and are a very important aspect in patient safety.

The Psychological Experience of the Nursing Staff of the Medical Oncology Department in Cameroon: Case of the YaoundéGeneral Hospital

Background: The world of cancer care is an emotional place, given the severity of the disease being treated, the heavy workload, the suffering of patients, and the high number of deaths. The nursing staff who work there may be exposed to constant stress from these factors. This study aimed to explore the psychological experience of the nursing staff of the Medical Oncology Department of the Yaoundé General Hospital. Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional study, in June 2017, involving the nursing staff of the Medical Oncology Department of the Yaoundé General Hospital. Results: Sixteen out of 18 nurses were interviewed. All had worked in at least one other department prior to Oncology. The number of years of experience in Oncology ranged from less than one year to 13 years. The choice of the Oncology department was involuntary for 100% of the staff;of these, 62% had intentions of changing departments. Twenty-five percent had applied for a change of department, which was unsuccessful. Stress was expressed by 94% of the staff;93% thought that there was a solution to the stress experienced on a daily basis in the Oncology department. The main solutions proposed to manage this stress were: support for the staff, provision of work materials, and staff training. Conclusion: The nursing staff of the Medical Oncology Department of the Yaoundé General Hospital experiences a high level of stress and are in need of solutions.

Acute Fevers in the Medical Unit of the Medical-Surgical Emergency Department of the Donka National Hospital

Introduction: Fever is a high core temperature ≥ 37.5°C in the morning and 37.8°C in the evening. It is acute when it evolves from 0 to 20 days. Very common in clinical practice, the etiological diagnosis, particularly in developing and tropical countries, is often a challenge for clinicians due to their diversity and the limited availability of diagnostic tools. There is a wide spectrum of etiological diagnoses including infectious causes and non-infectious causes. The aim of this study was to investigate the etiology of fevers acute at the medical unit in the medico-surgical emergency department of the Donka National Hospital. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study lasting 03 months (January 01, 2022 to March 31, 2022). We included in this study all patients seen in the medical unit, whose age ≥ 18 years, without distinction of sex, from any origin, with an axillary temperature ≥ 37.5°C in the morning and 37.8°C in the evening, evolving from 0 to 20 days, hospitalized or followed on an outpatient basis, and having given verbal consent. Results: Of a total of 1087 patients seen, 466 had an acute fever. The mean age was 40.04 ± 18.91 years (18 and 96 years). The female sex (58.15%) was predominant with a sex ratio of 0.72. Malaria (50.86%) was the main diagnosis. The treatment consisted of compressed paracetamol (59.01%), arthemether + lumefantrine (50.85%). Conclusion: The incidence of acute fevers is high in the medical unit of the medico-surgical emergency department of the Donka National Hospital. Malaria was the main pathology. Treatment was etiological and symptomatic. This high incidence could be explained by the fact that Guinea is an endemic malaria zone. A study taking into account other etiological factors would be of great interest.

Hospital Information Systems Shortage in Sub-Saharan African Hospitals: Opportunities and Challenges

The HIS is recognised as an essential tool for optimising the management of a health establishment in particular and the health system in general. But it is still very little implemented in hospitals in the South. Open source HIS software, available on the Internet, can be a solution for starting a (HIS) project in these hospitals. A search on the Internet for open source HIS software allowed us to choose MedBoard, the second most popular open source software out of 381, to start an HIS project called PERFORMANCE at the Kara University Hospital in northern Togo. A questionnaire allowed us to assess the level of knowledge of health actors on hospital information systems. The results of this evaluation allowed us to strengthen our proposal. The analysis of the current computer park of the CHU Kara does not allow whatever the functionalities of MedBoard to implement PERFORMANCE at the CHU Kara. Logistics are needed to make PERFORMANCE work. The real difficulty to start and perpetuate HIS project is linked to the human factor.

Development and application of a closed-loop medication administration system in University of Hongkong-Shenzhen Hospital

Objective： This study aimed to develop and apply a closed-loop medication administration system in a hospital in order to reduce medication administration errors （MAEs）.Methods： The study was implemented in four pilot general wards. We used a before-and-after design to collect oral medication administration times before and after the implementation of the closed-loop medication administration system, evaluated MAE alert logs after the intervention, and conducted a survey of the nurses1 satisfaction with the system in the pilot wards.Results： （a） Nursing time of oral medication administration： before the adoption of the closed-loop medication administration system, the average nursing time was 31.56 ± 10.88 minutes （n = 78）; after the adoption of the system, the time was 18.74 ± 5.60 minutes （n = 54）. Independent sample Mests showed a significant difference between two groups（t= 8.85, P 〈0.00）. （b） Degree of nurses’ satisfaction with the closed-loop medication administration system： 60.00% （n = 42） of nurses considered the system to be helpful for their work and nearly half of the nurses （47.14%, n = 33） believed that the system could facilitate clinical work and reduce workload; 51.43% {n = 36） believed that the system could reduce checking time and enhance work efficiency; 82.86% （n = 58） believed that the system was helpful in improving checking accuracy to reduce MAEs and ensure patient safety. More than 60% of the nurses considered the system to be a method that could help to track MAEs to improve nursing quality, （c） The MAE alert logs during observation period： it revealed only 27 alerts from the repeated scans of 3,428 instances of medication administration.Conclusions： The nurses were satisfied with the closed-loop medication administration system because it improved their work efficiency and reduced their workload. The current investigation was limited by time; therefore, further research is needed to more closely examine the relationship between the system and MAEs.

Quality Management Systems in Chinese Hospitals

Many hospitals in China have imple-mented quality management systems and acquiredcertain standards.However,only a few hospitalshave combined quality management with self-man-agement.In order to properly and effectively imple-ment quality management and ensure the effectiveoperation of quality management systems,hospi-tals must fully realize the relationship between over-all hospital management and quality management,and combine the principles of GB/T19001 Stan-dards with the hospitals’overall activities.

Hospitalizations and in-hospital mortality for inflammatory bowel disease in Brazil

BACKGROUND Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is associated with complications,frequent hospitalizations,surgery and death.The introduction of biologic drugs into the therapeutic arsenal in the last two decades,combined with an expansion of immunosuppressant therapy,has changed IBD management and may have altered the profile of hospitalizations and in-hospital mortality(IHM)due to IBD.AIM To describe hospitalizations from 2008 to 2018 and to analyze IHM from 1998 to 2017 for IBD in Brazil.METHODS This observational,retrospective,ecological study used secondary data on hospitalizations for IBD in Brazil for 2008-2018 to describe hospitalizations and for 1998-2017 to analyze IHM.Hospitalization data were obtained from the Hospital Information System of the Brazilian Unified Health System and population data from demographic censuses.The following variables were analyzed:Number of deaths and hospitalizations,length of hospital stay,financial costs of hospitalization,sex,age,ethnicity and type of hospital admission.RESULTS There was a reduction in the number of IBD hospitalizations,from 6975 admissions in 1998 to 4113 in 2017(trend:y=-0.1682x+342.8;R^(2)=0.8197;P<0.0001).The hospitalization rate also decreased,from 3.60/100000 in 2000 to 2.17 in 2010.IHM rates varied during the 20-year period,between 2.06 in 2017 and 3.64 in 2007,and did not follow a linear trend(y=-0.0005049x+2.617;R^(2)=0,00006;P=0.9741).IHM rates also varied between regions,increasing in all but the southeast,which showed a decreasing trend(y=-0.1122x+4.427;R^(2)=0,728;P<0.0001).The Southeast region accounted for 44.29%of all hospitalizations.The Northeast region had the highest IHM rate(2.86 deaths/100 admissions),with an increasing trend(y=0.1105x+1.110;R^(2)=0.6265;P<0.0001),but the lowest hospitalization rate(1.15).The Midwest and South regions had the highest hospitalization rates(3.27 and 3.17,respectively).A higher IHM rate was observed for nonelective admissions(2.88),which accounted for 81%of IBD hospitalizations.The total cost of IBD hospitalizations in 2017 exhibited an increase of 37.5%compared to 2008.CONCLUSION There has been a notable reduction in the number of hospitalizations for IBD in Brazil over 20 years.IHM rates varied and did not follow a linear trend.

Clinical Predictors of Prolonged Hospital Stay after Acute Stroke: Relevance of Medical Complications

Purpose: This study aims to identify clinical predictors of prolonged hospital stay after acute stroke based on data collected from a prospective hospital-based acute stroke registry. Methods: All patients with first-ever ischemic stroke and primary intracerebral hemorrhage included in the Sagrat Cor Hospital of Barcelona stroke database over a 17-year period were assessed. Prolonged hospital stay was defined as hospitalization for longer than 12 days after admission. Demographic data, cardiovascular risk factors, clinical factors, neuroimaging findings, and outcome were compared in patients hospitalized for more or less than 12 days. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the independent influence of statistically significant variables in the bivariate analysis and duration of hospitalization. Results: Of a total of 3112 acute stroke patients included in the study, prolonged hospital stay was recorded in 1536 (49.4%). Male sex (OR = 1.16), limb weakness (OR = 1.79), vascular complications (OR = 2.68), urinary complications (OR = 2.56), and infectious complications (OR = 1.78) were independently associated with longer stay, whereas symptom free at discharge (OR = 0.45) and lacunar infarction (OR = 0.43) were inversely associated with prolonged hospitalization. Conclusion: In-hospital medical complications (vascular, urinary, and infectious) are relevant factors influencing duration of hospitalization after acute stroke. Therefore, prevention of potentially modifiable risk factors for medical complications is an important aspect of the early management of patients with stroke.

Financial Sustainability of the Japanese Medical Payment System: Analysis of the Japanese Medical Expenditure for Educational Hospitalization of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Japanese medical expenditures have increased rapidly in recent years and are predicted to continue rising. Indeed, it remains uncertain whether the current Japanese medical system can be sustained. In this paper, we analyzed the medical expenditures for educational hospitalization of patients with type 2 diabetes. A dataset of 6173 patients from 36 hospitals was used in the analysis. The sample period was from July 2008 to March 2012. We analyzed the medical expenditures in two ways. First, we analyzed the length of hospital stay (LOS). Next, we analyzed the daily expenditure per patient. The Box-Cox transformation model was used in the first analysis and the ordinary least squares method in the second. Comorbidities and complications prolonged LOS and increased daily expenditures. The LOS was significantly different among hospitals. On the other hand, the differences in daily expenditures among hospitals were relatively small, such that LOS was the main determinant of medical expenditures. Previous studies suggested that LOS could be shortened without degradation of medical quality. Moreover, LOS could be controlled by introducing proper critical paths and improving and standardizing educational programs. Hence, it would be possible to control the medical expenditures for this disease.

Inspiration of the functional localization of a US naval hospital ship on a Chinese hospital ship

Through the experience of being stationed on the USS Mercy hospital ship(T-AH19) and a preliminary comprehension of the personnel and material arrangements,processing and functional formats,and the multi-platform contributions of US Navy hospital ships,we briefly introduce the characteristics of US hospital ships regarding medical support,emergency rescue exercises,communications and training,international humanitarian aid,etc.We discuss the function and responsibility of Chinese hospital ships,focusing on the investigation of the construction mode and positioning in the navy.

Running a Volunteer Program for Palliative Care in a Chinese Hospital:Our Practice and Experience

The establishment and development of volunteer team are very important in the whole process of palliative care.The concept and practice of palliative care have been developed in Peking Union Medical College Hospital(PUMCH)since the end of2012.Great progress has been made in different aspects.Volunteers play an extremely important role in the development of palliative care in PUMCH.The whole work began with the establishment of volunteer teams.This article introduces the process of the establishment and development of palliative care volunteer team in PUMCH,aiming to provide practical references for hospitals in China's Mainland to develop their own palliative care volunteer team.