Public Health and Nutrition
A study was conducted to examine the relationship between the volume and the quality of health care. A random sample of patients admitted to various hospitals in Indianapolis was obtained. After being discharged, each patient was asked to complete a questionnaire regarding the quality of care, and the results were evaluated to yield a quality score (x) between 1 (bad) and 50 (good). The total number of people in the hospital when the patient was admitted (y) was also recorded. Compute Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. What does this value suggest about the relationship between the volume and the quality of health care?