Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40836275›Full record

ArticleBMC medical research methodology2025

Visualizing leadership classifications in rectangular data using a basket model and co-word network analysis: a case study of U.S. HCAHPS survey results.

Tsair-Wei Chien, Willy Chou

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Article in BMC medical research methodology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

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2citing papers in PubMed
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2 citing papers in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

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2 authors.

Tsair-Wei ChienDepartment of Medical Research, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan.
Willy ChouDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Liouying Chi-Mei Hospital, Tainan, 73657, Taiwan. smilewilly@mail.chimei.org.tw.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundStructured datasets, such as time-series or survey-based tables, often lack intuitive visualizations that reveal rankings, interrelationships, or leadership dominance among subjects. Traditional parametric statistics fail to capture such relational patterns, especially in ordinal or categorical data. This study proposes a novel nonparametric framework to visualize leadership styles through network diagrams.

methodsWe introduced a three-tier "basket model"-cells (small baskets), columns (medium baskets), and the full table (large basket)-to transform rectangular data into weighted co-word matrices. Using publicly available 2023 HCAHPS survey data from 52 U.S. states and territories, we applied a follower-leader clustering algorithm (FLCA) implemented in R. Leadership was classified into three types: absolute, relative, and no advantage. Network visualizations were generated using Sankey-style diagrams to highlight dominance and inter-cluster relationships.

resultsThe weighted approach successfully identified Nebraska as the top leader in the upper 20 states and District of Columbia as a cluster leader among the bottom 20 after data inversion. The network diagrams effectively differentiated between absolute dominance (single strong cluster), relative dominance (sub-cluster formations), and no dominance (multiple independent clusters). Compared to traditional bar charts and choropleths, the method provided deeper insights into inter-state performance dynamics.

conclusionThis study offers an innovative method for visualizing rankings and leadership patterns in rectangular datasets. By combining a multi-level basket model with co-word network analysis and open-source R scripts, users can quickly generate interpretable, cluster-based dominance diagrams. The approach is scalable, customizable, and applicable to a variety of fields, including healthcare, education, and public policy. Future work may extend this model to dynamic visual tools and broader interdisciplinary applications.

Indexed as

LeadershipAlgorithmsCluster AnalysisHumansSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited StatesBasket modelCo-word network analysisHCAHPS surveyLeadership structure classificationRectangular data visualization

Identifiers

PMID40836275
PMCPMC12366396

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.