Table 1 Features of HEAT software
Feature | Description |
|---|---|
General | |
Software | HEAT was developed using the R statistical software and the R package shiny. Additional R packages used to support HEAT include: ggplot2, dplyr, RColorBrewer, grid and grid Extra. |
License | GNU GPL version 2. |
Availability | HEAT is available as an online application and as a standalone version for use offline. |
Compatibility | The online version can be accessed using any web browser on all desktop or laptop computers and mobile devices (minimum screen size of 7.9” is recommended). |
The standalone version can be accessed on all computers with a Windows or Macintosh operating system. | |
Installation | The online version requires no installation. |
The standalone version is available in a zip folder and needs to be extracted and saved to the computer’s hard drive. The extracted HEAT folder contains portable versions of the R statistical software and the web browser Mozilla Firefox, which are required to run HEAT, but do not require any installation. The standalone version can simply be launched by double-clicking the start file. | |
Built-in database | |
Disaggregated data | HEAT contains the WHO Health Equity Monitor database. Its 2015 update includes estimates and 95 % confidence intervals for more than 30 reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health indicators, disaggregated by five dimensions of inequality (economic status, education, place of residence, subnational region and child’s sex (where applicable)) from Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys conducted in 94 countries between 1993 and 2013. The database is updated regularly. |
Summary measures of inequality | HEAT calculates 15 summary measures of inequality and their 95 % confidence intervals based on analytic and/or bootstrap methods. |
Export options | |
Tables | Data can be exported as text files with values separated by comma or by tab. Users can choose their preferred field separator. |
Graphs | Data can be visualised in bar graphs, line graphs and scatterplots. Users can adjust the height and width of graphs, specify axes ranges and add titles and axis labels. In addition, users can display 95 % confidence intervals. Graphs can be exported as pdf, jpg or png files. |
Supporting material | |
User manual | The user manual provides detailed information on how to set up and work with HEAT. Each feature of the toolkit is explained in detail and recommendations are made on how best to assess and interpret the data. |
Technical notes | The technical notes provide detailed information about the data displayed in HEAT, including the disaggregated data from the WHO Health Equity Monitor database and the 15 summary measures of inequality that were calculated based on the disaggregated data. |
Indicator compendium | The indicator compendium includes a comprehensive definition of each indicator included in the WHO Health Equity Monitor database. |