A Declarative Specification for Clinical Reference Range Number Line Visualizations
Zoe J Fisk (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), Skyler Lin (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), Zachary Medailleu (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), Morgan Elizabeth Vasiliou (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), Karen Bonilla (Worcester Polytechnic Institute), Lane Harrison (Worcester Polytechnic Institute)
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Abstract
Reference range number lines (RRNLs) place a single health datum on a continuous, categorically classified scale, improving comprehension of health information for at-risk patients. Despite their value, RRNLs lack a formal definition and dedicated authoring tools, so researchers build them manually. We introduce a domain-specific language (DSL) that specifies the core components of RRNLs and compiles to Vega-Lite, Vega, and (for gradients) D3. To demonstrate it, we replicate a key prior result in health communication using stimuli generated entirely from our specification, reproducing the original study’s main trends. We discuss how a visualization-grounded DSL advances accessibility, replicability, and robustness over manual RRNL creation.