29. There have been recent complaints at a pharmacy… administrator decides to develop a new patient portal… How were descriptive statistics applied?

Answer: C

Explanation:

The average wait time was higher than expected.

Descriptive statistics were applied to analyze the average wait time for patients, indicating that it exceeded expectations. This data provides valuable insight into operational efficiency and patient experience.

A) Online refill requests need to be authenticated…

This option does not directly relate to the application of descriptive statistics in the context of analyzing patient wait times. While authentication is important for security, it does not provide quantitative data about patient experiences or behaviors.

B) The average number of patients had increased…

Although this statement involves a descriptive statistic, it does not address the specific issue of wait times. The focus of the question is on how descriptive statistics were used to assess patient wait times, making this option less relevant to the core concern.

C) The average wait time was higher than expected…

This option accurately reflects the application of descriptive statistics by highlighting the average wait time, which is a key metric for evaluating service performance in the pharmacy. It directly ties into the complaints and the need for a new patient portal to enhance service delivery.

D) Customer satisfaction was below expected…

While customer satisfaction may be a relevant metric, this option does not specifically utilize descriptive statistics to analyze the situation regarding wait times. Instead, it focuses on a different aspect of patient experience that is not the primary concern in this context.

Conclusion

The correct answer, which identifies that the average wait time was higher than expected, illustrates how descriptive statistics can pinpoint areas of concern in service delivery. Other options either deviate from the specific focus on wait times or do not effectively apply descriptive analytics to assess the pharmacy's performance in relation to patient expectations. This highlights the importance of using precise metrics to inform operational improvements.