Visual Analysis of North-South Clinical Treatment Differences Based on the "Disease-Physician-Prescription-Herb" Association

Abstract

As a pivotal component of China's Intangible Cultural Heritage, Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) diagnosis and treatment holds unique value in the prevention and treatment of complex diseases and in health management, demonstrating significant North-South regional disparities. To deeply unravel the intrinsic patterns underlying these disparities, this paper constructs a visual analytics system based on medical records, prescriptions, and medicinal material data. First, data is categorized according to the characteristics of TCM diagnosis and treatment, and visualization tasks are defined. Then, by integrating text, spatial, and multidimensional visualization techniques, along with a multi-view linked interaction mechanism, the system enables the correlation analysis of textual features, geographical distribution, and prescription formulation patterns in north-south medical records. Comparative examination of prescriptions and herb combinations utilized by northern and southern practitioners reveals substantive divergences in TCM diagnostic, therapeutic strategies, and pharmacopeia applications. This research contributes both empirical foundations for standardizing TCM clinical practice and pharmaceutical protocols, and a new method for the digital research of TCM cultural heritage.