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1,721 ratings

F. Perry Wilson

Top Instructor

77,985 already enrolled

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Understanding Medical Research: Your Facebook Friend is Wrong

Yale University

About this Course

33,610 recent views

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.

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Beginner Level

Approx. 16 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

How to efficiently read a medical research paper and how to differentiate between good and bad research
The different tests used in medical research and how to spot common errors in methodology and interoperation for each
Read and understand statistical figures, charts, and graphics
How best to verify claims made in news articles

Skills you will gain

Medicine
Health Research
Medical Terminology
Medical Writing
Research Methods

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Beginner Level

Approx. 16 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.96/5 (959 Ratings)

F. Perry Wilson
Top Instructor

Associate Professor of Medicine

Yale School of Medicine

77,985 Learners

1 Course

Offered by

Yale University

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating98%(6,472 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Welcome!

1 hour to complete

1 video (Total 10 min), 3 readings

Week2

Week 2

2 hours to complete

The Basics

2 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 54 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

Week3

Week 3

3 hours to complete

Medical Statistics Made Ridiculously Simple

3 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 108 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

8 videos

Types of Data11mAverages By Other Names11mSampling: The Secret Sauce of Statistics16mStatistics is an Onion12mThe Biggest Secret in Medicine: Relative vs Absolute Risk10mThe Power and the Problem with the P-Value18mChoosing a Statistical Test11mThe Interpretation of "Negative" Studies15m

2 readings

Module Preview10mPre Quiz: Medical Statistics Made Ridiculously Simple30m

1 practice exercise

Medical Statistics Made Ridiculously Simple30m

Week4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Types of Medical Studies

3 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 111 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

9 videos

The Randomized, Controlled Trial14mCovid Content - How to Find Your Own Research17mThe Cohort Study9mThe Case-Control Study9mStudies of Diagnostic Tests13mCovid Content - Vaccine Efficacy Calculation 3mMeta-Analysis: Fondue or Clam Chowder?13mTime to Event Analysis - Only the Strong Survive14mThe Cost-Effectiveness Study: How Much is Your Life Worth?14m

2 readings

Module Preview10mPre Quiz: Types of Medical Studies 30m

1 practice exercise

Types of Medical Studies30m

Reviews

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TOP REVIEWS FROM UNDERSTANDING MEDICAL RESEARCH: YOUR FACEBOOK FRIEND IS WRONG

by PBSep 27, 2021

I used to be in a statistics career field and use some of that knowledge for this course. I absolutely feel like it's easier to spot fraud and will help me have a critical eye for so many other areas!

by ELAug 8, 2020

I liked the review for me of my past courses in stat and research methods. I do not think anyone who never has a stat course could even follow this course, But i did enjoy the course and the content.

by DGAug 28, 2020

Such a timely course as the news is filled with research study after research study with, sometimes, competing results. Never before have I heard "pre-print" and "not peer reviewed" so frequently.

by MSJun 8, 2020

I had a lot of fun learning how to understand medical reports. F. Perry Wilson's use of examples for the common person was useful. His lectures was very engaging and interesting. Thank you!

View all reviews

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Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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Understanding Medical Research: Your Facebook Friend is Wrong

Understanding Medical Research: Your Facebook Friend is Wrong

About this Course

What you will learn

Skills you will gain