Visual Perception and Pre-Attentive Attributes in Oncological Data Visualisation

In the era of precision medicine, effective data visualisation plays a pivotal role in supporting clinical decision-making by translating complex, multidimensional datasets into intuitive and actionable insights. This paper explores the foundational principles of visual perception, with a specific f...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Roberta Fusco, Vincenza Granata, Sergio Venanzio Setola, Davide Pupo, Teresa Petrosino, Ciro Paolo Lamanna, Mimma Castaldo, Maria Giovanna Riga, Michele A. Karaboue, Francesco Izzo, Antonella Petrillo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Bioengineering
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/12/7/782
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850078255128772608
author Roberta Fusco
Vincenza Granata
Sergio Venanzio Setola
Davide Pupo
Teresa Petrosino
Ciro Paolo Lamanna
Mimma Castaldo
Maria Giovanna Riga
Michele A. Karaboue
Francesco Izzo
Antonella Petrillo
author_facet Roberta Fusco
Vincenza Granata
Sergio Venanzio Setola
Davide Pupo
Teresa Petrosino
Ciro Paolo Lamanna
Mimma Castaldo
Maria Giovanna Riga
Michele A. Karaboue
Francesco Izzo
Antonella Petrillo
author_sort Roberta Fusco
collection DOAJ
description In the era of precision medicine, effective data visualisation plays a pivotal role in supporting clinical decision-making by translating complex, multidimensional datasets into intuitive and actionable insights. This paper explores the foundational principles of visual perception, with a specific focus on pre-attentive attributes such as colour, shape, size, orientation, and spatial position, which are processed automatically by the human visual system. Drawing from cognitive psychology and perceptual science, we demonstrate how these attributes can enhance the clarity and usability of medical visualisations, reducing cognitive load and improving interpretive speed in high-stakes clinical environments. Through detailed case studies and visual examples, particularly within the field of oncology, we highlight best practices and common pitfalls in the design of dashboards, nomograms, and interactive platforms. We further examine the integration of advanced tools—such as genomic heatmaps and temporal timelines—into multidisciplinary workflows to support personalised care. Our findings underscore that visually intelligent design is not merely an aesthetic concern but a critical factor in clinical safety, efficiency, and communication, advocating for user-centred and evidence-based approaches in the development of health data interfaces.
format Article
id doaj-art-42cf0b9ee0634cf2b27ffd49a6b1f05c
institution DOAJ
issn 2306-5354
language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Bioengineering
spelling doaj-art-42cf0b9ee0634cf2b27ffd49a6b1f05c2025-08-20T02:45:37ZengMDPI AGBioengineering2306-53542025-07-0112778210.3390/bioengineering12070782Visual Perception and Pre-Attentive Attributes in Oncological Data VisualisationRoberta Fusco0Vincenza Granata1Sergio Venanzio Setola2Davide Pupo3Teresa Petrosino4Ciro Paolo Lamanna5Mimma Castaldo6Maria Giovanna Riga7Michele A. Karaboue8Francesco Izzo9Antonella Petrillo10Division of Radiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, ItalyDivision of Radiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, ItalyDivision of Radiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, ItalyDivision of Radiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, ItalyDivision of Radiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, ItalyDivision of Radiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, ItalyUnit of “Progettazione e Manutenzione Edile ed impianti”, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, ItalyDepartment of Radiology, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, ItalyDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71122 Foggia, ItalyDivision of Epatobiliary Surgical Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, ItalyDivision of Radiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, ItalyIn the era of precision medicine, effective data visualisation plays a pivotal role in supporting clinical decision-making by translating complex, multidimensional datasets into intuitive and actionable insights. This paper explores the foundational principles of visual perception, with a specific focus on pre-attentive attributes such as colour, shape, size, orientation, and spatial position, which are processed automatically by the human visual system. Drawing from cognitive psychology and perceptual science, we demonstrate how these attributes can enhance the clarity and usability of medical visualisations, reducing cognitive load and improving interpretive speed in high-stakes clinical environments. Through detailed case studies and visual examples, particularly within the field of oncology, we highlight best practices and common pitfalls in the design of dashboards, nomograms, and interactive platforms. We further examine the integration of advanced tools—such as genomic heatmaps and temporal timelines—into multidisciplinary workflows to support personalised care. Our findings underscore that visually intelligent design is not merely an aesthetic concern but a critical factor in clinical safety, efficiency, and communication, advocating for user-centred and evidence-based approaches in the development of health data interfaces.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/12/7/782visual perceptionpre-attentive attributesdata visualisationoncology
spellingShingle Roberta Fusco
Vincenza Granata
Sergio Venanzio Setola
Davide Pupo
Teresa Petrosino
Ciro Paolo Lamanna
Mimma Castaldo
Maria Giovanna Riga
Michele A. Karaboue
Francesco Izzo
Antonella Petrillo
Visual Perception and Pre-Attentive Attributes in Oncological Data Visualisation
Bioengineering
visual perception
pre-attentive attributes
data visualisation
oncology
title Visual Perception and Pre-Attentive Attributes in Oncological Data Visualisation
title_full Visual Perception and Pre-Attentive Attributes in Oncological Data Visualisation
title_fullStr Visual Perception and Pre-Attentive Attributes in Oncological Data Visualisation
title_full_unstemmed Visual Perception and Pre-Attentive Attributes in Oncological Data Visualisation
title_short Visual Perception and Pre-Attentive Attributes in Oncological Data Visualisation
title_sort visual perception and pre attentive attributes in oncological data visualisation
topic visual perception
pre-attentive attributes
data visualisation
oncology
url https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/12/7/782
work_keys_str_mv AT robertafusco visualperceptionandpreattentiveattributesinoncologicaldatavisualisation
AT vincenzagranata visualperceptionandpreattentiveattributesinoncologicaldatavisualisation
AT sergiovenanziosetola visualperceptionandpreattentiveattributesinoncologicaldatavisualisation
AT davidepupo visualperceptionandpreattentiveattributesinoncologicaldatavisualisation
AT teresapetrosino visualperceptionandpreattentiveattributesinoncologicaldatavisualisation
AT ciropaololamanna visualperceptionandpreattentiveattributesinoncologicaldatavisualisation
AT mimmacastaldo visualperceptionandpreattentiveattributesinoncologicaldatavisualisation
AT mariagiovannariga visualperceptionandpreattentiveattributesinoncologicaldatavisualisation
AT micheleakaraboue visualperceptionandpreattentiveattributesinoncologicaldatavisualisation
AT francescoizzo visualperceptionandpreattentiveattributesinoncologicaldatavisualisation
AT antonellapetrillo visualperceptionandpreattentiveattributesinoncologicaldatavisualisation