title: Data display format and hospital ward reports: effects of different presentations on data interpretation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Graphs are often used in medical communication, both in clinical practice and health management. They can help the processing of quantitative information but may also contribute to drawing wrong conclusions. The aim of the survey is to study the graphical perception of the data at the management level and its possible effects, showing how some criteria of appraisal of a phenomenon are influenced by the graphical format.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and five medical doctors and health direction professionals of hospitals in Naples, Rome, Siena and Turin were interviewed. Four different graphs or table related to the same hypothetical data on average hospital stay in the period January 2000 to September 2003 were shown to participants, and their impressions were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Less than one-fourth of the participants understood that the data set was the same for the different diagrams. The process of understanding is mostly correlated with being a director, having a degree in medicine and working in central-northern cities. The table seems easier for interpretation (98.1%), more suitable (84.8%), more used (92.4%) and more pleasant than other data presentation. On the other hand radar format had worse results in all questions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The choice of a graphical format may influence the understanding of data. Further research is needed in order to sustain the improvement of medical and health professionals' knowledge in the display data format.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hygiene - Catholic University of Sacred Heart, L.go S. Vito 1, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agostinelli
authors.forename: Maria Lucia
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Specchia
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liguori
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Parlato
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Siliquini
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nante
authors.forename: Domitilla
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Thiene
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ricciardi
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boccia
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Torre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D032882:Comprehension; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003626:Data Display; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007558:Italy; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010820:Physicians; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires