Data Visualization in Environmental Public Health: From Data to Insight
Figure 7 Heat Map Example: West Nile Virus Activity by Surveillance Zone and Week
Heat Maps In general data visualization, a heat map is a grid or matrix in which color represents the value in each cell. For example, a heat map might show the number of inspections by program and month. This format can reveal patterns across categories and time, including consistently high or low values and areas that could need attention. Examples include: • Number of inspections by program and month • Percentage of inspections completed on time by office and quarter • Number of violations by violation type and facility category • Average response time by complaint type and jurisdiction • Training participation by staff role and month • Compliance rates by program and geographic area Clearly label the measure and color scale so readers can interpret the values correctly. Use counts carefully when categories differ substantially in size. Percentages or rates provide more meaningful comparisons when appropriate denominators are available.
Source: Synthetic data created for demonstration purposes.
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