A primer on data visualization in infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Data Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Data visualization techniques encode information into visual objects like graphs.
• Advancements in informatics enable processing of large datasets.
• Effective data visualization can simplify messaging for healthcare stakeholders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of data visualization theory and history.
• To offer recommendations for creating effective data visualizations in infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of data visualization principles.
• Synthesis of existing data visualization techniques.
• Development of best-practice recommendations.

Main Results:

• Data visualization offers insights into large datasets.
• Limited evidence exists for optimal data visualization in infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship.
• The study outlines foundational concepts and practical graph creation advice.

Conclusions:

• Data visualization is crucial for communicating complex health information.
• Specific guidance is needed for infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship data representation.
• The recommendations aim to improve data accessibility and understanding for healthcare professionals.