Table 3.

Qualitative considerations and their impact on the appraisal of LBC by committee members

Contextual criteria*	Should this be considered? Would it impact positively or negatively on value of intervention?
Impact on future decisions	Decision to fund LBC coverage although not considered cost-effective will be setting a precedent as LBC technology will be expanded to other cytology tests Considered as negative impact on value
Relationship with pathology providers	Ongoing negotiations with the pathology groups in other areas may be impacted Considered as a positive impact on value
Impact on screening intervals	Screening interval may be extended to 2 to 3 years than annually Considered as a positive impact on value
Patient expectation	Health plan members expect that their pap smears will be paid in full and are likely to resist any benefit design which implements a co-payment for a more expensive technology Considered as a negative impact on value

*Contextual criteria were proposed by the healthcare funder. Specific contextual criteria may be defined on the basis of the following generic criteria/themes: mission and scope of the healthcare system, opportunity costs; population priorities & access; system capacity and appropriate use; political context; and stakeholder pressures.