DA0-002 Visualization and Reporting Practice Question
A hospital's analytics team has created a dashboard for tracking patient wait times across departments. The dashboard uses a stacked bar chart showing average wait time per department, with each bar segmented by severity level (Low, Medium, High). However, management complains that it is difficult to compare total wait times across departments or identify which department has the highest average wait time. The data itself is accurate and complete. The analyst needs to redesign the visualization to address these concerns. Which course of action should the analyst take?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Change the chart to a grouped bar chart, with each department having separate bars for each severity level placed side-by-side.
A grouped bar chart with each department showing separate bars for each severity level placed side-by-side enables direct comparison of total wait times across departments and easy identification of the department with the highest average wait time. Option A is incorrect because multiple line charts are designed for time-series data, not for comparing categorical totals across departments, and would clutter the view. Option B is incorrect because a heat map can show patterns but does not allow clear comparison of total wait times or identification of the highest average. Option D is incorrect because a pie chart only shows proportions of a single category (e.g., total wait time per department) and loses severity-level information, making it impossible to compare total wait times meaningfully.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Replace the stacked bar chart with multiple line charts, one per department.
Why it's wrong here
Line charts are not suitable for categorical comparisons and would create overlapping lines that are hard to read.
- ✗
Use a heat map with departments on one axis and severity levels on the other, with color intensity representing wait time.
Why it's wrong here
Heat maps show patterns but do not clearly display total wait times per department, making comparisons difficult.
- ✓
Change the chart to a grouped bar chart, with each department having separate bars for each severity level placed side-by-side.
Why this is correct
This allows direct comparison of totals and individual segments across departments.
- ✗
Switch to a pie chart showing the proportion of total wait time each department contributes.
Why it's wrong here
Pie charts cannot show multiple dimensions like severity levels and are poor for comparing totals.
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