Development of a quantitative weighted scoring instrument to evaluate bedside blood glucose testing programs.

The present assessment of laboratory quality is primarily a qualitative summary process. The objective of our study is to convert a qualitative standards document into a quantitative, weighted scoring system. We selected a laboratory testing standards document, Ancillary (Bedside) Blood Glucose Testing in Acute and Chronic Care Facilities, C30, developed by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS), as our prototype and used a two-stage, modified delphi technique. Sixty-nine criteria were identified from the C30 document. Using a two-stage, modified delphi technique, members of the NCCLS committee that developed the guideline weighted the relative importance of each criteria. This weighting system then was used to evaluate the quality of bedside glucose testing at the 14 general hospitals located within the city limits of Boston.