Objective To construct a theoretical framework of satisfaction with pre-screening triage service from the perspective of patients through grounded theory research, so as to provide reference for evaluating and quantifying patients′ satisfaction with pre-screening triage service.Methods Using purposeful sampling and theoretical sampling methods, 27 patients who had received pre-screening triage services were selected for semi-structured in-depth interviews. Applying the procedural grounded theory research method and assisted by NVIVO 12.0 software, the acquired raw data were subjected to open coding, axial coding, and selective coding, followed by a theoretical saturation test.Results Five main categories were identified, including patient expectations, ser-vice quality, information supply, humanistic care, and continuous improvement. Conclusion Patient expectations, service quality, information supply, humanistic care, and continuous improvement constitute the main factor, core factor, key factor, basic factor and guarantee factor, respectively, of pre-screening triage service satisfaction. This theoretical framework can serve as a reference for enhancing pre-screening triage services and evaluating patient satisfaction.