Abstract: Objective To construct a scientific and standardized medical hospice service model based on the theory of embeddedness, and to provide guidance for the development of hospice services. Methods Through using “embeddedness theory” as a theoretical guide, the first-level entries were identified as institutional embeddedness, structural embeddedness, cognitive embeddedness and cultural embeddedness. The framework of the healthcare hospice model was initially developed through literature research and group discussion, and 15 experts in related fields such as hospice, healthcare integration and geriatric specialties were invited for 2 rounds of expert correspondence using the Delphi method of expert correspondence. Results The two rounds of questionnaires had a recovery rate and validity rate of 100.0%, with an expert authority coefficient of 0.930 and 0.930, and Kendall’s harmony coefficients of 0.231 and 0.254, respectively (P<0.001), resulting in a model of medical and nursing hospice care services that included four first-level entries, eight second-level entries, and 50 third-level entries. Conclusions The medical hospice service model based on the theory of embeddedness has a high degree of reliability and scientific validity, which can improve the quality of life of the terminally ill elderly and provide guidance for hospice practice in the context of medical integration.

Key words: hospice, health care integration, embeddedness theory, model construction, Delphi