Objective  To analyze the influence of hospital type on the satisfaction degree of outpatient clinic attendees and to propose suggestions for improving medical service quality in hospitals.

  Methods  A questionnaire survey on satisfaction to medical service was conducted among 1 000 outpatient clinic attendees recruited with accidental sampling at two specialized hospitals and three general hospitals in Shandong province in December, 2016. Descriptive analysis, χ² test, two independent samples t test, factor analysis, and multivariate logistic regression were adopted in data analyses.

  Results   There were significant differences in gender, age, education level, occupational type, type of medical insurance, family income, and residential region between the outpatient clinic attendees of specialized hospitals and general hospitals (all P < 0.05). For the outpatient clinic attendees of specialized hospitals and general hospitals, the score of satisfaction to the process of clinic visit was 2.61 ± 0.99 and 3.04 ± 1.46, and that to the environment of clinic visit was 4.11 ± 0.95 and 3.94 ± 1.05, with significant differences (both P < 0.01). The outpatient clinic attendees of specialized hospitals and general hospitals showed a group preference when reporting the satisfaction to clinic visit process and environment.

  Conclusion   The process and environment for outpatient visit need to be improved in both specialized and general hospitals to upgrade the satisfaction of clinic visitors.