Connecting time-oriented data and information to a coherent interactive visualization

TLDR

Modern ICUs generate high‑dimensional, time‑oriented data that must be visualized in a user‑ and task‑specific way, yet existing charts ignore implicit knowledge and lack interaction for temporal exploration. The study aims to link time‑oriented data and information into a coherent interactive visualization. The authors propose interactive techniques that reveal data at multiple levels of detail and abstraction, and introduce a time‑browser that integrates overview+detail, pan+zoom, and focus+context navigation.

Abstract

In modern intensive care units (ICUs), the medical staff has to monitor a huge amount of high-dimensional and time-oriented data, which needs to be visualized user- and task-specifically to ease diagnosis and treatment planning. Available visual representations, like diagrams or charts neglect the implicit information as well as a-priory or associated knowledge about the data and its meaning (for example, 38.5°C (101.3°F) is moderate fever and 41°C (105.8°F) is critical fever). Another challenge is to provide appropriate interaction techniques to explore and navigate the data and its temporal dimensions. In this context one major challenge is to connect time-oriented data and information to a coherent interactive visualization. In this paper we present different interactive visualization techniques which enable the users to reveal the data at several levels of detail and abstraction, ranging from a broad overview to the fine structure. We will also introduce a time visualization and navigation technique that connects overview+detail, pan+zoom, and focus+context features to one powerful time-browser.