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.
