Objective To assess the operational and quality management status of outpatient multi-disciplinarytreatment (MDT) services in tertiary hospitals nationwide, identify core quality indicators and key influencing factors for their development. Methods A multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted from November to December 2024 among tertiary medical institutions nationwide that had implemented outpatient MDT services. The entropy weight method was employed to calculate the weights of outpatient MDT quality indicators, objectively determining their importance ranking. Meanwhile, a 10-point Likert scale was used to systematically evaluate internal and external factors influencing the development of outpatient MDT services. Results A total of 521 hospitals were surveyed. Among them, there were 458 tertiary hospitals (87.9%) and 63 tertiary hospitals (12.1%). Gaps remain in key aspects of outpatient MDT quality management: 295 institutions (56.6%) lacked clear inclusion criteria for MDT case discussions; 159 (30.5%) had not implemented an electronic medical record system for outpatient MDT; and 130 (25.0%) had not established an assessment mechanism for outpatient MDT. Objective weighting via the entropy weight method revealed the top three indicators by weight: “whether outpatient MDT regulations have been formulated” (27.287%), “whether a standard approval process exists for establishing an MDT” (19.079%), and “whether a team secretary is assigned” (15.433%). Analysis of influencing factors showed that among external factors, “medical insurance policies” had the most significant impact, while among internal factors, “departmental emphasis/physician awareness” was most prominent. Conclusions The core indicators of outpatient MDT quality management were screened by entropy weighting method and the key influencing factors were explored using Liszt scoring method. This provides an objective basis for healthcare administration to standardize outpatient MDT services and enhance operational quality and efficiency.
Objective To analyze the operational status and practical characteristics of outpatient multi-disciplinary treatment (MDT) services through a national survey, with the goal of providing evidence-based support for promoting standardized implementation and sustainable development of the MDT model. Methods From November to December 2024, a snowball sampling method was used to conduct a questionnaire survey among tertiary healthcare institutions across China that had implemented outpatient MDT services. Descriptive statistical methods were employed to analyze the operational status, resource allocation, and practical characteristics of outpatient MDT. Results A total of 533 questionnaires were collected, among which 521 were valid questionnaires, with a valid rate of 97.7%. Outpatient MDT services had primarily been implemented within the past five years (60.7%). Among the institutions, 316 (60.7%) had no more than 10 fixed MDT teams, with an average annual service volume of 824 patient visits. Regarding the consultation model, 303 institutions (58.2%) had not yet adopted the “fixed time, fixed location, and fixed personnel” model. The performance evaluation mechanism remained underdeveloped: 46.1% of the institutions did not incorporate outpatient MDT workload into departmental assessments, and 41.5% did not include it in individual physicians’ performance evaluations. Conclusions China’s outpatient MDT model remains in an exploratory and developmental phase, commonly facing issues such as a weak service foundation, loose team collaboration, inconsistent operational standards, and inadequate incentive mechanisms. Moving forward, it is essential to systematically construct an MDT management framework by strengthening institutional design, standardizing service processes, and implementing supporting incentive policies, thereby promoting its standardized and sustainable development.
