2000年5月23日我國正式立法通過「安寧緩和醫療條例」，成為我國的自然死法案，本論文以該條例為研究的背景素材，希冀能就此研究，提供我國醫事人員在該條例規範下，於臨床施行時確切的作為準則，並討論植物人應否納入該條例適用對象，及其後續修法建議。
本文共分為六章，茲將其詳細內容分章說明如下：
第一章 緒論，介紹本文研究背景與目的、方法及範圍與限制。
第二章 首先對國外安寧緩和醫療相關法案進行介紹，輔以各國相關判例進行分析，並進行歸納整理作為小結。
第三章 就我國安寧緩和醫療條例的基本內涵展開介紹，點出其所引發之重要問題及目前臨床實務的處理方式，並與第二章外國法案展開比較法的考察，相互印證及補強。
第四章 針對前此所論及的問題，進一步提出安寧緩和醫療條例與醫事人員所當為的法律及醫事倫理規範內容。
第五章 以執業醫事人員進行問卷調查以探討植物人應否適用安寧緩和醫療條例及臨床實務上發現的衝突問題。
經由上述各章節依次介紹及研究討論後，最終獲致第六章之結論，同時，試行提出對於我國安寧緩和醫療條例之修法建議。
Taiwan passed legislation authorizing "Hospice Palliative Care Act", a natural death law, on May 23, 2000. The purpose of this thesis is to examine the
Ordinance and hope to provide a guideline to medical personnel under the regulations of the Ordinance. It also discusses whether it should be included the vegetable in the Ordinance and gives the proposals for amendments to this law.
This thesis is divided into six chapters. The details of each chapter are as follows: The first chapter is an introduction to this thesis. It explains the background, purpose, methods, scope and limitations of this study.
The second chapter will investigate the palliative care bills of foreign countries and will make a brief overview which is supported by the analysis of the jurisprudence of national courts.
Chapter Three will introduce the basic connotation of “Hospice Palliative Care Act and point out the important issues that arise from clinical practice and current treatment. It will also reinforce and authenticate the content in the previous chapter.
Chapter Four will discuss the palliative care regulations and medical personnel along with the problems mentioned previously by what is legal and medical ethics content.
In Chapter Five, the study will explore if the vegetable should be applicable ordinances and palliative care clinical practice and why the conflict happens by conducting a questionnaire survey to the registered medical personnel.
Chapter Six will make a summary based on all the previous chapters to give the proposals for amendments to this law. It is the conclusion of this study.
