Data visualization for psychotherapy progress tracking

Abstract

In this experience report, we recount how we designed and built data visualization tools for clinical decision making in psychotherapy. We describe how a combination of three factors enabled us to build a high-fidelity prototype within eight-weeks: 1) a multi-disciplinary team; 2) an agile methodology that incorporated participatory user-centered research into the design approach; and 3) a coherent conceptual framework for designing data visualization for decision making [1]. Elements of our approach and the lessons learned may be useful to others who must design tools to display multivariate data for users who work under tight time constraints and high cognitive loads, and whose skills using data visualization vary widely.