A Consumer’s Guide to Understanding Data - Data Fluency: Empowering Your Organization with Effective Data Communication - page 71

Animal Speed (mph) vs. Size (lbs-log)

80

Cheetah

60

Greyhound

Speed
(mph)

40

Rabbit

Deer

Hippo

Cat

Human

Elephant

20

Bear

Squirrel

Mouse

Chicken

Ant

Snail Sloth

-6 -3 0 3 6

Animal Weight (lbs-log scale)

F i g u r e 4 .17 Animal speed versus size
Source: Data from Natural History Magazine, March 1974

An astute clinician could interpret this EKG tracing (Figure 4-18) to identify a
patient at high risk for malignant heart arrhythmias.

Cardiologists use electrocardiograms (aka EKGs) to trace the electrical activity
from the heart. A healthy heart demonstrates familiar patterns in the lines;
changes to these patterns indicate problems.
An experienced cardiologist can see abnor-
mal heart rhythms, chamber enlargement, and
signs of impaired blood flow through changes
in the shape of the lines.

Comparisons
Data without context may offer little meaning.
But adding a comparison value—whether an
industry benchmark, an organizational goal,
or a regulatory standard—brings values into
focus. Comparisons across time periods can

Figure 4-18 EKG rhythms and data