Data Digitizing: Accurate And Precise Data Extraction For Quantitative Systems Pharmacology And Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling

In quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) and physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling, data digitizing is a valuable tool to extract numerical information from published data presented as graphs. To quantify their relevance, a literature search revealed a remarkable mean increase of 16% per year in publications citing digitizing software together with QSP or PBPK. Accuracy, precision, confounder influence, and variability were investigated using scaled median symmetric accuracy (zeta), thus finding excellent accuracy (mean zeta = 0.99%). Although significant, no relevant confounders were found (mean zeta +/- SD circles = 0.69% +/- 0.68% vs. triangles = 1.3% +/- 0.62%). Analysis of 181 literature peak plasma concentration values revealed a considerable discrepancy between reported andpost hocdigitized data with 85% having zeta > 5%. Our findings suggest that data digitizing is precise and important. However, because the greatest pitfall comes from pre-existing errors, we recommend always making published data available as raw values.