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Design Guidance for Displaying Graphs and Tables (PDF format)

Guidance – Displaying Graphs and Tables

Introduction

The Design Guidance – Displaying Graphs and Tables document provides you with guidance and recommendations for identifying 'vital signs' data values and patterns over time, both as single and multiple data series, within both graphs and tables. It enhances patient safety and clinical application usability by:

Ensuring specific data values and critical patterns, such as trends and significant interactions, are interpreted correctly
Ensuring a consistent visual presentation of data values and data series within graphs and tables
Reducing the chance of incorrect or delayed diagnosis and treatment due to incorrect analysis of the data

Summary of Guidance

Guidance is given on displaying tables and graphs and focuses on:

Providing appropriate layout and formatting of graphs and tables for data values and data series
Providing consistent scaling and appropiate axes
Analyzing data values against normal ranges, and in a series of data values taken over time, including the use of interpolation
Representing the same data values within both graphs and tables
Demonstrating where access to supporting contextual data will be necessary