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Column charts

Introduction

Column charts are essential tools in epidemiological surveillance for comparing counts across categories such as regions, time periods, or organism types. The col_chart() function provides flexible options for creating both static and interactive column charts with support for grouping, stacking, labeling, and advanced features like case boxes and threshold lines.

Prerequisites

library(epiviz)
library(dplyr)
library(lubridate)

Example 1: Basic single-series column chart

Simple column charts are ideal for comparing counts across categories. This example shows regional distribution of laboratory detections.

Prepare the data

# Aggregate detections by region for a specific time period (as used in tests)
regional_summary <- epiviz::lab_data %>%
  filter(
    specimen_date >= as.Date("2023-01-01"),
    specimen_date <= as.Date("2023-12-31")
  ) %>%
  group_by(region) %>%
  summarise(detections = n()) %>%
  ungroup()

Create the basic column chart

col_chart(
  dynamic = FALSE,  # Create static ggplot chart
  params = list(
    df = regional_summary,
    x = "region",           # Categorical variable for x-axis
    y = "detections",       # Numeric variable for y-axis
    fill_colours = "#007C91",  # Single color for all bars
    chart_title = "Laboratory Detections by Region 2023",
    x_axis_title = "Region",
    y_axis_title = "Number of detections",
    x_axis_label_angle = -45  # Rotate labels for readability
  )
)

Interpretation: This chart clearly shows the regional distribution of laboratory detections in 2023, with London having the highest number of detections and other regions following in descending order.

Example 2: Grouped stacked column chart

When you need to compare multiple categories within each group, stacked column charts are effective. This example shows detections by organism type within each region.

Prepare the data

# Aggregate by region and organism species (as used in tests)
region_organism_summary <- epiviz::lab_data %>%
  filter(
    specimen_date >= as.Date("2023-01-01"),
    specimen_date <= as.Date("2023-12-31")
  ) %>%
  group_by(region, organism_species_name) %>%
  summarise(detections = n()) %>%
  ungroup()

Create the grouped stacked chart

col_chart(
  dynamic = FALSE,  # Create static ggplot chart
  params = list(
    df = region_organism_summary,
    x = "region",                    # Primary grouping variable
    y = "detections",                # Value variable
    group_var = "organism_species_name",  # Secondary grouping variable
    group_var_barmode = "stack",     # Stack bars within each group
    fill_colours = c("KLEBSIELLA PNEUMONIAE" = "#007C91",
                     "STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS" = "#8A1B61",
                     "PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA" = "#FF7F32"),  # Named color mapping
    chart_title = "Laboratory Detections by Region \nand Species 2023",
    chart_footer = "This chart has been created using simulated data.",
    x_axis_title = "Region",
    y_axis_title = "Number of detections",
    legend_title = "Organism species",
    x_axis_label_angle = -45
  )
)

Interpretation: This stacked chart reveals both regional differences in total detections and the relative contribution of different organism types within each region.

Example 3: Column chart with bar labels

Bar labels show exact values on each bar, making it easier to read precise counts without estimating from the axis.

Create the chart with bar labels

col_chart(
  dynamic = FALSE,  # Create static ggplot chart
  params = list(
    df = regional_summary,
    x = "region",
    y = "detections",
    fill_colours = "#007C91",
    chart_title = "Laboratory Detections by Region 2023",
    x_axis_title = "Region",
    y_axis_title = "Number of detections",
    x_axis_label_angle = -45,
    bar_labels = "detections",      # Show values on bars
    bar_labels_pos = "bar_base"     # Position labels at base of bars
  )
)

Interpretation: The bar labels make it easy to see exact detection counts for each region without having to estimate from the y-axis scale.

Example 4: Interactive column chart with case boxes

Case boxes are useful for highlighting specific data points or adding additional context to your visualization.

Prepare data for case boxes

# Use a shorter time period for case boxes demonstration
case_box_data <- epiviz::lab_data %>%
  filter(
    specimen_date >= as.Date("2023-01-01"),
    specimen_date <= as.Date("2023-01-07")  # One week for case boxes
  ) %>%
  group_by(region, organism_species_name) %>%
  summarise(detections = n()) %>%
  ungroup()

Create the interactive chart with case boxes

col_chart(
  dynamic = TRUE,   # Create interactive plotly chart
  params = list(
    df = case_box_data,
    x = "region",
    y = "detections",
    group_var = "organism_species_name",
    group_var_barmode = "stack",
    fill_colours = c("KLEBSIELLA PNEUMONIAE" = "#007C91",
                     "STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS" = "#8A1B61",
                     "PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA" = "#FF7F32"),
    case_boxes = TRUE,              # Enable case boxes
    chart_title = "Laboratory Detections by Region \nand Species (Week 1, 2023)",
    chart_footer = "This chart has been created using simulated data.",
    x_axis_title = "Region",
    y_axis_title = "Number of detections",
    legend_title = "Organism species",
    x_axis_label_angle = -45
  )
)

Interpretation: The interactive chart with case boxes allows users to explore the data dynamically while highlighting specific data points of interest.

Example 5: Column chart with threshold lines

Threshold lines help identify data points that exceed or fall below important cutoffs, such as outbreak levels or target values.

Create the chart with threshold lines

col_chart(
  dynamic = FALSE,  # Create static ggplot chart
  params = list(
    df = region_organism_summary,
    x = "region",
    y = "detections",
    group_var = "organism_species_name",
    group_var_barmode = "stack",
    fill_colours = c("KLEBSIELLA PNEUMONIAE" = "#007C91",
                     "STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS" = "#8A1B61",
                     "PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA" = "#FF7F32"),
    # Threshold lines
    hline = c(1000, 2000),          # Multiple threshold lines
    hline_colour = c("orange", "red"),  # Colors for each line
    hline_label = c("Alert level", "Outbreak threshold"),  # Labels for lines
    hline_label_colour = c("orange", "red"),  # Label colors
    hline_type = c("dashed", "solid"),  # Line types
    hline_width = c(1, 2),          # Line widths
    chart_title = "Laboratory Detections by Region \nand Species 2023",
    chart_footer = "This chart has been created using simulated data.",
    x_axis_title = "Region",
    y_axis_title = "Number of detections",
    legend_title = "Organism species",
    x_axis_label_angle = -45
  )
)

Interpretation: The threshold lines help identify regions that exceed alert levels (orange dashed line) or outbreak thresholds (red solid line), guiding public health response priorities.

Example 6: Time-series column chart

Time-series column charts are crucial for surveillance, showing temporal patterns in disease occurrence. This example demonstrates weekly aggregation.

Prepare the time-series data

# Create weekly time series data
weekly_series <- epiviz::lab_data %>%
  filter(
    specimen_date >= as.Date("2023-01-01"),
    specimen_date <= as.Date("2023-03-31")
  ) %>%
  mutate(
    specimen_week = floor_date(specimen_date, "week", week_start = 1)  # Monday start
  ) %>%
  count(specimen_week, name = "detections")

Create the time-series column chart

col_chart(
  dynamic = FALSE,  # Create static ggplot chart
  params = list(
    df = weekly_series,
    x = "specimen_week",        # Date variable for x-axis
    y = "detections",           # Count variable
    x_time_series = TRUE,       # Indicate this is time series data
    time_period = "iso_year_week",  # Aggregation period
    fill_colours = "#007C91",
    chart_title = "Weekly laboratory detections (Q1 2023)",
    x_axis_title = "Week",
    y_axis_title = "Number of detections",
    x_axis_label_angle = -45,
    # Custom styling for time series
    x_axis_date_breaks = "2 weeks",  # Show every 2 weeks
    x_axis_date_labels = "%b %d"     # Format: Jan 01
  )
)
Column chart showing the number of laboratory detections for each ISO week between January and March 2023.

Weekly laboratory detections between January and March 2023.

Interpretation: This time-series chart reveals weekly patterns in laboratory detections, helping identify trends, seasonal effects, and potential outbreaks.

Tips for column charts

  1. Data aggregation: Always aggregate your data appropriately before passing it to col_chart(). The function expects pre-calculated counts or values.

  2. Color mapping: Use named color vectors for grouped data to ensure consistent colors across charts:

    fill_colours = c("KLEBSIELLA PNEUMONIAE" = "#007C91",
                 "STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS" = "#8A1B61")

  3. Grouping options:

    • group_var_barmode = "stack" for stacked bars (shows composition)
    • group_var_barmode = "group" for grouped bars (shows comparison)

  4. Bar labels: Use bar_labels and bar_labels_pos to show exact values on bars:

    • "bar_base" - at the base of bars
    • "bar_centre" - at the center of bars
    • "bar_top" - at the top of bars

  5. Case boxes: Enable case_boxes = TRUE for interactive charts to highlight specific data points.

  6. Threshold lines: Use hline parameters to add horizontal reference lines for alert levels or targets.

  7. Time series: When working with dates, set x_time_series = TRUE and specify the appropriate time_period for proper aggregation.

  8. Interactive features: Set dynamic = TRUE for interactive charts with zooming, hovering, and filtering capabilities.

  9. Chart footers: Add chart_footer to provide context about data sources or limitations.

  10. Label rotation: Use x_axis_label_angle = -45 for long category labels to improve readability.

These binaries (installable software) and packages are in development.
They may not be fully stable and should be used with caution. We make no claims about them.
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