Why the total price alone misleads
Two hospitals can quote very different totals for what sounds like the same whole exome sequencing request. The gap often reflects different scope rather than a genuine price difference. One quote may cover only sequencing and a data file, while another bundles sample handling, a written report, or a discussion with a clinician. Until you know which items sit inside each total, the numbers are not comparable.
The practical rule is to compare scope first and price second. A quote is only meaningful when you can see what the hospital has agreed to do, what it has left out, and what still depends on a clinician's decision. If a hospital will not itemise, that itself is useful information about how easy later questions will be.
This guide is about the administrative comparison, not about what any test result means. Clinical interpretation, suitability and any treatment decision belong to the treating team. Your job at this stage is to make the quotes answer the same questions.
Match the written scope before you compare numbers
Start by asking each hospital for a written scope that uses the same categories. You want to see, in the hospital's own words, what the quoted service covers. Useful categories include: sample receipt and handling, the sequencing step itself, data processing, any written report, and any clinician discussion of the findings.
Then check whether the quotes describe the same starting material. A quote built around an existing sample held by the hospital may not cover the same work as one that assumes a new sample must be collected and processed. Ask directly which sample the quote assumes and who is responsible for it.
Finally, ask what the quote does not cover. A hospital may state that certain steps, repeat work or additional review fall outside the quoted figure. That is not a hidden trap; it is scope you need in writing so the comparison is honest. If a category is missing from one quote, ask for it rather than assuming it is included.
Ask what the report actually contains
The word 'report' can mean different things. One hospital may provide a data file with limited commentary; another may provide a structured written document. Ask each provider to describe the report format, the language it will be written in, and whether a clinician will discuss it with you or your treating team.
Report types vary, and the receiving team decides what it needs. Rather than assuming a universal format, ask the hospital what its standard output is and whether that matches what your treating clinician has requested. If your clinician needs a specific type of summary, say so in the enquiry and ask whether the hospital can provide it.
It also helps to ask who signs or issues the report and how it will be delivered. These are administrative details, but they affect whether the output is usable by the team that will act on it. Confirm them before you pay, not after.
Records and identifiers that make quotes comparable
A quote is easier to compare when both hospitals are working from the same information. Before requesting itemised quotes, prepare a short summary that includes the patient's main question, relevant existing records, and any prior sequencing or genetic reports. You do not need to send a complete medical archive at first contact; a brief summary is enough to start.
Use consistent identifiers across enquiries. The patient's name as written in the passport, date of birth, and a single contact email help each hospital refer to the same case. If a hospital assigns a reference or case number, keep it and use it in later messages.
Ask each hospital what records it needs to finalise a quote. Some may be able to give a provisional figure from a summary, then confirm after reviewing documents. Treat any provisional figure as provisional, and ask what would change it. This is how you avoid comparing a firm quote from one hospital with a rough estimate from another.
Name who is responsible for each step
Price comparison becomes clearer when responsibility is explicit. For each quote, ask who handles the sample, who performs the sequencing, who prepares the report, and who answers clinical questions about it. If a step is handled by a third party, ask the hospital to say so in writing.
This matters because a low total may reflect a narrower role for the hospital. If the hospital only sequences and returns data, you may need to arrange interpretation elsewhere. If it provides a clinician discussion, that is part of the scope you are paying for. Neither approach is wrong; they are simply different, and the totals should be read accordingly.
Ask also who to contact if something changes, such as a need for repeat work or an additional review. A named contact and a clear process make the quote more useful than a bare number.
Turn the comparison into a written question list
Once you have two or more quotes, send each hospital the same short list of questions. Ask them to confirm, in writing, the scope they cover, the items they exclude, the report format and language, the records they still need, and who is responsible for each step. Ask them to state any assumptions in the quote, such as which sample is used.
Keep the questions identical across hospitals so the answers line up. If one hospital answers a question and another does not, follow up rather than filling the gap yourself. A missing answer is a reason to ask again, not a reason to guess.
When the answers are complete, compare them category by category. The hospital with the clearer, more complete written scope is often the easier one to work with, even if its total is not the lowest. That clarity is part of what you are choosing.
- Ask each hospital to confirm the scope in writing, using the same categories.
- Ask what the quote excludes and what remains undecided.
- Ask which sample the quote assumes and who provides it.
- Ask for the report format, language and who discusses it.
- Ask which records are still needed to finalise the figure.
- Ask for a named contact and the process if scope changes.
A practical next step
The comparison only becomes real once each hospital has answered the same questions in writing. Before you treat any figure as final, go back through the replies and check three things: that the scope categories match, that the report description is specific enough to act on, and that a named person is responsible for each step. If one hospital has answered a category and another has not, that gap is the next thing to resolve, not something to fill in yourself.
It also helps to separate what is fixed from what is still open. A quote that states its assumptions, such as which sample is used and which records have been reviewed, is easier to compare than one that leaves those points unstated. Where an assumption is unclear, ask the hospital to confirm it in writing rather than reading it into the total.
Keep a single running document with one column per hospital and the same rows for every enquiry. Scope covered, items excluded, report format and language, records still needed, named contact, and any stated assumptions. Filling that table as replies arrive shows you exactly where the quotes still diverge, and it gives you a short, factual basis for the next message rather than a general request for a better price.
When you are ready to move forward, send a brief summary of the case and your main question through the enquiry form, email or WhatsApp. An initial enquiry is free and does not require buying a proxy consultation. If you would like help organising records, requesting itemised quotes or arranging a specialist appointment, ChinaSpecialistCare can assist with that coordination. The hospital decides suitability and provides the clinical service.
For background on the service itself, see the Whole Exome Sequencing reference page.
Sources & scope of this guide
References and official service information relevant to this guide.
This is general planning information and has not been individually reviewed by a doctor. Medical decisions and personal treatment advice come from your treating clinicians.