Outpatients’ endorsement of societal recognition and respect for healthcare professionals in China’s tertiary public hospitals: a national multicenter cross-sectional study

Background Societal recognition and respect for healthcare professionals are important for professional dignity and patient–clinician relationships. However, evidence remains limited on whether patients endorse healthcare professionals as deserving such recognition and respect. This study examined outpatients’ endorsement of societal recognition and respect for healthcare professionals and its associated factors in China’s tertiary public hospitals. Methods We used data from a national multicenter cross-sectional survey conducted in the first quarter of 2021 across tertiary public hospitals in all 31 provincial-level administrative regions of mainland China. A total of 31,599 outpatients were included. The outcome was assessed using a single five-point Likert-scale normative item and dichotomized into endorsement versus non-endorsement. Mixed-effects logistic regression models with a hospital-level random intercept were used to identify associated factors. Sensitivity analyses and latent class analysis were further conducted. Results Overall, 30,787 outpatients (97.4%) endorsed that healthcare professionals deserve societal recognition and respect. In the fully adjusted model, urban household registration, higher annual household income, and absence of chronic disease were associated with higher endorsement. Outpatient experience indicators showed the strongest associations, including satisfaction with privacy protection (OR = 3.26, 95% CI: 2.55–4.17), treatment and medication explanations (OR = 3.08, 95% CI: 2.40–3.96), registration convenience (OR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.85–3.05), perceived respect and comfort (OR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.47–2.49), consultation duration (OR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.45–2.38), and waiting time (OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.25–2.03). Sensitivity analyses yielded consistent findings. Patients with poorer outpatient experience patterns were substantially less likely to endorse such recognition and respect. Conclusion Most outpatients endorsed societal recognition and respect for healthcare professionals. Such endorsement was strongly linked to concrete outpatient experiences, especially privacy protection, communication, service convenience, perceived respect and comfort, consultation duration, and waiting time.