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Understanding Medical Research: Your Facebook Friend is Wrong
  • Level Foundation
  • Duration 17 hours
  • Course by Yale University
  • Offered by

About

How can you tell if the bold headlines seen on social media are truly touting the next big thing or if the article isn't worth the paper it's printed on? Understanding Medical Studies, will provide you with the tools and skills you need to critically interpret medical studies, and determine for yourself the difference between good and bad science. The course covers study-design, research methods, and statistical interpretation. It also delves into the dark side of medical research by covering fraud, biases, and common misinterpretations of data. Each lesson will highlight case-studies from real-world journal articles. By the end of this course, you'll have the tools you need to determine the trustworthiness of the scientific information you're reading and, of course, whether or not your Facebook friend is wrong. This course was made possible in part by the George M. O'Brien Kidney Center at Yale.

Modules

Course Introduction

    • 1 Videos
    • 3 Readings
Show info about module content

1 Videos

  • Course Introduction

3 Readings

  • Lesson Guide
  • Critical Thinking Survey
  • Health Behavior Survey

1. How Research Works

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • How Research Works

1 Readings

  • Module Preview

2. The Medical Manuscript

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • The Medical Manuscript

3. The Replication Crisis

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • The Replication Crisis

4. The Question is - What is the Question?

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • The Question is - What is the Question?

End of Module Quiz

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • The Basics

1 Discussions

  • Post Module Impressions

1 Readings

  • Pre Quiz: The Basics

5. Types of Data

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Types of Data

1 Readings

  • Module Preview

6. Averages By Other Names

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Averages By Other Names

7. Sampling: The Secret Sauce of Statistics

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Sampling: The Secret Sauce of Statistics

8. Statistics as an Onion

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Statistics is an Onion

9. The Biggest Secret in Medicine: Relative vs Absolute Risk

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • The Biggest Secret in Medicine: Relative vs Absolute Risk

10. The Power and the Problem with the P-Value

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • The Power and the Problem with the P-Value

11. Choosing a Statistical Test

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Choosing a Statistical Test

12. The Interpretation of "Negative" Studies

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • The Interpretation of "Negative" Studies

End of Module Quiz

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Medical Statistics Made Ridiculously Simple

1 Discussions

  • Post Module Impressions

1 Readings

  • Pre Quiz: Medical Statistics Made Ridiculously Simple

13. The Randomized, Controlled Trial

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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2 Videos

  • The Randomized, Controlled Trial
  • Covid Content - How to Find Your Own Research

1 Readings

  • Module Preview

14. The Cohort Study

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • The Cohort Study

15. The Case Control Study

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • The Case-Control Study

16. Studies of Diagnostic Tests

    • 2 Videos
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2 Videos

  • Studies of Diagnostic Tests
  • Covid Content - Vaccine Efficacy Calculation

17. Meta-Analysis: Fondue or Clam Chowder?

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Meta-Analysis: Fondue or Clam Chowder?

18. Only the Strong Survive

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Time to Event Analysis - Only the Strong Survive

19. The Cost-Effectiveness Study: How Much is Your Life Worth

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • The Cost-Effectiveness Study: How Much is Your Life Worth?

End of Module Quiz

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Types of Medical Studies

1 Discussions

  • Post Module Impressions

1 Readings

  • Pre Quiz: Types of Medical Studies

20. Causality

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Causality

21. Confounding

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Confounding

22. Effect Modification and Mediation

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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2 Videos

  • Effect Modification and Mediation
  • Covid Content - Smoking does not prevent Covid-19 death

1 Readings

  • Covid Content

23. Generalizability

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Generalizability

24. Multiple Comparisons

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Multiple Comparisons

25. Surrogate Endpoints

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Surrogate Endpoints

26. Fraud

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Fraud

End of Module Quiz

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • How Wrong Conclusions Are Reached

1 Discussions

  • Post Module Impressions

1 Readings

  • Pre Quiz: How Wrong Conclusions are Reached

27. Selection Bias

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Selection Bias

28. Information Bias

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Information Bias

29. Time-Based Biases

    • 2 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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2 Videos

  • Time-Based Biases
  • Covid Content - Immortal Time Bias spotted in the wild!

1 Readings

  • Covid Content - Immortal Time Bias spotted in the wild!

30. Statistical Brain Teasers

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Statistical Brain Teasers

End of Module Quiz

    • 1 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Bias

1 Discussions

  • Post Module Impressions

1 Readings

  • Pre Quiz: Bias

31. Adjustment

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Adjustment

32. Matching

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Matching

33. Propensity Scoring

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Propensity Scoring

34. Putting it all together

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Putting It All Together

End Of Module Quiz

    • 4 Readings
    • 1 Discussion
    • 1 Assignment
Show info about module content

1 Assignment

  • Fixing the Problems with Medical Studies

1 Discussions

  • Post Module Impressions

4 Readings

  • Pre Quiz: Fixing the Problems with Medical Studies
  • Medical Study Interpretation - Don’t Forget:
  • Post Course Surveys
  • Optional participation in survey, follow up from Week 1

Auto Summary

"Understanding Medical Research: Your Facebook Friend is Wrong" is a foundational Science & Engineering course offered by Coursera, designed to equip learners with critical skills to evaluate medical studies. Led by experts from the George M. O'Brien Kidney Center at Yale, this 1020-minute course covers study design, research methods, and statistical interpretation, while also addressing fraud, biases, and data misinterpretations. Ideal for those seeking to discern credible scientific information, the course is available through Starter and Professional subscription options.

F. Perry Wilson
Instructor

F. Perry Wilson