本研究之目的是探討外科住院老人的需要及其影響因素。以年滿60歲，住院滿72小時之外科住院老人為對象，採深度會談問卷方式進行調查，共收案100位，資料收集後經SAS/PC電腦套裝軟體統計分析處理。研究結果顯示：1.外科住院老人的需要平均分為1.63分，介於「需要」與「不需要」之間，但其中有11項─對於身體不適症狀的解除、協助臥位的改變或按摩、知道病情進展和治療結果、知道病情預後情形、知道疾病應注意事項、希望兒女及配偶陪伴、希望醫師、護理人員探視之平均分落於2.02-2.73分之間，介於「需要」與「非常需要」之間。2.住院老人的需要程度會因婚姻狀況、教育程度、保險、主要陪伴者、罹患慢性病及有無手術之不同，而有顯著差異。3.住院老人的需要程度會因日常自我照顧程度而有顯著差異。4.住院老人的需要程度與心智狀態和日常自我照顧程度呈負相關。建議本研究量表可做為外科住院老人需要程度之評估工具。

The purpose of this study was to investigate perceived needs and its influential factors in surgical geriatric inpatients. The data were collected with the deep interview-questionnaire method by an investigator for 100 consecution inpatients older than 60 years of age and admitted longer than 72 hours. All date were analyzed with SAS/PC. The result showed (1) the perceived needs in surgical geriatric inpatients was between “needed” and “non-needed” (mean=1.63). 11 items such as: “the need to discuss the symptoms”, ”the need to help in changing position”, “the need to know about disease progress, treatment results and prognosis”, “the need to visit by doctors and nurses” et al. The average scores of these 11 items were 2.02-2.73, fell between “needed” and “very-needed” (2) Patients’ perceived needs were signifcantly related to their marrital status, educational levels, insurance, caregivers, chronic disease, and received operation. (3) Perceived needs of these inpatients were significantly related to their ADL scores. (4) Patients’ level of perceived needs were negatively related to their mental status and ADL scores. The study can be used as a tool to assess the needs of surgical geriatric inpatients. Results can be used as an indicator for nursing standards of surgical geriatric inpatients.