Utility scores for dimensions of clinical laboratory testing services from two purchaser perspectives

Information is critical for making health-care purchasing decisions. Identifying the importance of dimensions and criteria used by purchasers of clinical laboratory testing services is the second step in the development of a report card to evaluate such services. The purpose of this study was to quantify the utility--the importance of four dimensions: access, cost, quality, and service--for two stakeholders of clinical laboratory testing services. Data were collected using a survey of hospital laboratories, as well as independent practice associations (IPAs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs) that purchase clinical laboratory testing services. Although valued differently with respect to the magnitude of the utility score, both stakeholders rate quality and cost as first and second in importance. Managed-care organizations rate access and service as third and fourth in importance. Hospital laboratories consider service third in importance, yet with a similar utility score as that for managed-care organizations. Ten of 19 criteria (52.6%) were rated differently by the stakeholders. Using these utility scores for the dimensions and the criteria serves as a preliminary scoring system for a report card to evaluate clinical laboratory testing services.