Understanding Medical Research: Your Facebook Friend is Wrong

The second part of the course title needs clarifying: it's not just your Facebook friend that is wrong, it's anyone on any social media, a specific platform like FB, twitter et al., but also the comment sections of websites and of forums.

Unfortunately the very information that governments rely may also be wrong, or at the very least, a bit rough on the edges.

Early on in the public health emergency the UK government refused to release the data or discussion documents it used to base its actions on. Later information was released, such as the reports from Imperial College's "Real-time Assessment of Community Transmission (REACT) Study" which were published as preprints for each round. None of these have been peer reviewed. The first round used two different labs to run the PCR tests, viz. NHS and commercial. The results from the latter had to be 'calibrated' as they tested different genes in the viral RNA. The inclusion population was intended to be representative of the country, but the returned swabs gave a different picture. The results then had to be weighted to adjusted for the differences.

This course has proved invaluable to understanding reports such as these.

I found the presentation by the lecturer to be clear and consistent, aimed at a not too mathematically minded audience.

I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to dig a bit deeper into not just what their social media friend says, but what governments and news media say as well.

The course titled ‘Understanding Medical Research: Your Facebook Friend is Wrong’ joins a vibrant and thoughtful discussion in the field of medical research. The challenging nature of medical research and its evaluation are dynamic. Evaluation of medical research is interdependent on criterion-standard rhythm. Again standard is set on validity-reliability rigors. Medical research is very much concerned with validity-reliability excellence. The perception toward the medical study is very scruffy to the general public. Present endeavour of Dr. Perry of Yale University via Coursera to introduce the understanding medical research is much worthy from today's perspective. The significance of studying such topic is of immense beneficial. Professor Perry as instructor, and their associates rendered their lectures and services professionally and in a prudent manner. As a participant, I found this course very effective and productive to my profession as a psychologist. I personally believe that this course has facilitated me to a great extent. I wish Dr. Perry, Yale University and Coursera, a fair weather and following seas all the time.

This is a great course. I was a NIMH Fellow in Quantative Methods in graduate school and worked in the pharmaceutical industry, so I had quite a bit of background in statistics. This was both a good review and a source of much new information.

Professor F.Perry Wilson is the statistics teacher that every student deserves, including adults who might have thought that they couldn't study this material without a strong mathematics background.

He focuses on conceptual understanding rather than cranking through the calculations and is simultaneously casual and very rigorous. His teaching style draws you in, keeps you engaged and wanting to learn more. He's funny and engaging

Hats off to the production staff for taking this course out of the lecture hall and into a very lively studio setting and occasionally onto the Yale campus.

Bravo to a very innovative approach to teaching. Please Coursera and Yale, do more courses like this. You too Dr. Wilson.