Table 2.

Unobserved constructs, observed variables, and justifications.

Unobserved Construct	Observed Variables	Justification
Cost	Operating Expenses per Bed	Measure of cost that accounts for facility size in terms of beds.
Access	Number of Operational Beds	Number of beds available in the hospital equates to increased care availability.
	Occupancy Rate	Increased occupancy implies increased access to care. Alternatively, increased occupancy might indicate a lack of local market bed capacity.
	Payer Mix	Differences in payer mix equate to greater/lesser availability to care resources.
Quality	Total Performance Score	Improved performance scoring indicates higher levels of hospital performance across four quality dimensions: safety, clinical care, efficiency and cost reduction, and patient and caregiver-centered experience of care/care coordination.
	Hospital Compare	Improved scores imply elevated patient perceptions of care.