About this course

If a dataset itself isn’t diverse and doesn’t reflect the variations in the population, what impact will this have? In the past, important insights and opportunities in research have been missed because of a lack of diversity in the data set. This can have negative impacts on minority populations, and on the outcomes for patients as a whole.

It is essential that the data used in research reflects the population in order to ensure that all members of society benefit from research outputs, e.g. accurate diagnoses and effective treatment.

The object of this course is to examine the challenges that come with ensuring diversity in health data and understanding why getting this right is so important. The course will also endeavour to give you an understanding of common mistakes and pitfalls.

Biases and non-representation in data can impact results and subsequently impact society. The resources in this curriculum will discuss the major pitfalls in data collection and help you to navigate around these to ensure diversity when analysing results.

Note that written transcripts are available for each video resource.

Intended audience

The general theme of this course is core for researchers and practitioners in the health field, however, the content can be freely accessed by anyone wishing to learn more about diversity in health data.

Instructors

Shikta Das

Honorary Lecturer

University College London

Sophia Luu

Freelance Design Researcher