To determine which waiting times are more variable, we can calculate the coefficient of variation (CV) for both sets of data. The coefficient of variation is a measure of relative variability and is calculated by dividing the standard deviation by the mean and multiplying by 100 to express it as a percentage.
For the waiting times of people admitted for additional treatment:
Mean = 67 minutes
Standard deviation = 17.3 minutes
- CV = (Standard deviation / Mean) * 100
- CV = (17.3 / 67) * 100
- CV ≈ 25.8%
For the waiting times of patients discharged after receiving treatment:
Mean = 95 minutes
Standard deviation = 9.8 minutes
- CV = (Standard deviation / Mean) * 100
- CV = (9.8 / 95) * 100
- CV ≈ 10.3%
Comparing the calculated coefficients of variation, we find that the waiting times for people admitted for additional treatment have a higher coefficient of variation (25.8%) compared to the waiting times for patients discharged after receiving treatment (10.3%).
Therefore, the waiting times for people admitted for additional treatment are more variable than the waiting times for patients discharged after receiving treatment.