rstudio::conf(2022)

As R users, we make choices daily about what packages to use in our work. After discovering a package that may suit our needs, we consider its qualities and make a judgement about whether to invest in its use. Here at GSK, we are currently forging a path to using R in regulatory settings, which involves careful curation and assessment of R packages for use on clinical trials data. While this exercise is formalized for those of us in pharma, attendees will learn about how related principles can better inform decisions they make their own workflows, regardless of industry or experience. They will take away specific qualities that indicate trustworthiness, as well as the importance of considering the ecosystem as a whole.

Back in 2020, Atorus first released our package Tplyr. The aim of Tplyr was to build a reusable framework that makes all the data preparation for clinical reporting simple – and takes the hassle out of tedious things like decimal and parentheses alignment. But from the beginning, Tplyr was always meant to be more. Tplyr captures metadata about the table being built, and in Tplyr 1.0.0 we can leverage that metadata to its full advantage. Tplyr now let’s you dive in, and for any result provides the traceability of how that result was derived, and the data used to do-so. In our talk, we will explore this new functionality built into Tplyr, the mechanics that make it work, and how these new features are useful in the clinical world and beyond.

Data Scientists have a unique position to drive change and efficiency within organizations workflows. By simplifying workflows to its core expectations, we can design with purpose. Process and software are harmonized to reduce risk and streamline the overall system. At GSK, we are developing capabilities and challenging traditional processes. We must do this while still meeting regulatory compliance requirements that can be complicated by historical inertia. I will talk about how my team is using this approach to develop R packages in tandem with process changes that are leading to wins. Attendees of my talk with leave with an understanding of how to do the same.