ObjectiveTo explore the application of pre-examination and triage service for outpatients in large general hospitals to improve the quality of service and increase the satisfaction of the patients. MethodsBy using convenience sampling, the outpatients from four third-class A level hospitals were investigated with self-designed questionnaire between July and August, 2013. The patients were differentiated according to the frequency of visiting doctors; the first and subsequent visit being the variables, the rank-sum test was used to investigate the demand and satisficing of the pre-examination and triage service in the two kinds of outpatients in large general hospitals. ResultsThe satisficing of the pre-examination and triage service was high; the demand of the service was high in the first-visit patients with high satisficing. The difference in out-patient consultation between the two kinds of patients were significant. ConclusionPre-examination and triage service has a great guiding effect on outpatients in large general hospitals, and its availability is related to the type of the patients, awareness rate of the service and satisfaction to nurses.