Objective To assess the validity of the self-designed inpatient satisfaction questionnaire using Structural Equation Model (SEM). Methods The questionnaire survey was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Sichuan in April 2016, with participants selected through a systematical sampling approach. The structural validity of the inpatient satisfaction questionnaire was assessed using SEM. The statistical analyses were performed using Lisrel8.70. Results About 98.5% of returned questionnaires were valid for data analyses, which resulted in a total sample of 2562. A good model fit was achieved: df=8.36, root mean square error of appoximation (RMSEA)=0.054, root mean square residual (RMR)=0.021, goodness-of-fit index (GFI)=0.93, adjusted GFI (AGFI)=0.91, com-parative fit index (CFI)=0.98, non-normed fit index (NNFI)=0.98, parsimony GFI(PGFI）=0.74. Factor loadings on exogenous latent variables ranged from 0.59 to 0.94, with 0.52-0.87 AVE. Conclusion The questionnaire has a good construct validity, which can be used for evaluating inpatient satisfaction in tertiary hospitals.
