XML 103 R79.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.20.4

STOCK OWNERSHIP AND COMPENSATION PLANS (Employee and Non-employee Directors Stock Ownership Programs) (Details) - shares shares in Thousands | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2020 | Dec. 31, 2019 | Dec. 31, 2018
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items] |  |  |
Award vesting period | 3 years |  |
Employee Long Term Incentive Plan ELTIP |  |  |
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items] |  |  |
Contractual life of stock options and other awards under the shared-based compensation plans | 10 years |  |
Number of shares available for award | 79,000 |  |
Restated Director Long-Term Incentive Plan (DLTIP) Amendment |  |  |
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items] |  |  |
Contractual life of stock options and other awards under the shared-based compensation plans | 10 years |  |
Restated Director Long-Term Incentive Plan (DLTIP) |  |  |
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items] |  |  |
Award vesting period | 3 years |  |
Number of shares available for award | 2,400 |  |
Shares granted | 14 | 14 | 15

X
- Definition Contractual life of stock options and other awards under the Shared-based compensation plans + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | dgx_ContractualLifeOfStockOptionsAndOtherAwardsUnderSharedBasedCompensationPlans
Namespace Prefix: | dgx_
Data Type: | xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Period over which grantee's right to exercise award under share-based payment arrangement is no longer contingent on satisfaction of service or performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Includes, but is not limited to, combination of market, performance or service condition. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a)(1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardAwardVestingPeriod1
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The number of grants made during the period on other than stock (or unit) option plans (for example, phantom stock or unit plan, stock or unit appreciation rights plan, performance target plan). + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (c)(2)(iii)(1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardEquityInstrumentsOtherThanOptionsGrantsInPeriod
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Number of shares authorized for issuance under share-based payment arrangement. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (a)(3) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120381028&loc=d3e5070-113901 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=dgx_EmployeeLongTermIncentivePlanEltipMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=dgx_RestatedDirectorLongTermIncentivePlanDltipAmendmentMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=dgx_RestatedDirectorLongTermIncentivePlanDltipMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |