Assessing the Quality of Patient Information for Cholesteatoma on the Video Sharing Platform YouTube

Abstract

IntroductionCholesteatoma is common chronic ear condition that usually requires surgical treatment and long-term follow-up. The Internet helps patients find information about their medical conditions and assists in shared clinical decision making. This work aims to assess the quality of information on YouTube for cholesteatoma. We aim to assess the quality of the most popular cholesteatoma videos on YouTube using recognized scoring systems and determine if quality correlated with video likes and views.MethodsThe YouTube website was systematically searched on separate days with a formal search strategy to identify videos relevant to cholesteatoma. Each video was viewed and scored by three independent assessors using a novel Essential and Ideal Video Completeness criteria for cholesteatoma and the validated DISCERN tool. Popularity metrics were analyzed and compared with video popularity.ResultsA total of 90 YouTube videos were analyzed with an average 55,292 views per video with an average of 271 likes and 22 dislikes. The interrater correlation was moderate with Fleiss kappa score 0.42 (p < 0.01) using the Essential and Ideal Video Completeness criteria for cholesteatoma and interrater correlation coefficient was 0.78 (95% confidence interval, 0.58–0.90), indicating good reliability for DISCERN scores. The overall video quality was poor with higher DISCERN scores found from academic institutions.ConclusionYouTube content with regard to cholesteatoma is of poor quality. Videos with unclassified sources or more dislikes correlated with poor quality. Otology societies should be encouraged to publish high-quality YouTube videos on cholesteatoma and other ear conditions.

YouTube/ Bilibili/ TikTok Videos as Sources of Medical Information on Laryngeal Carcinoma: Cross-Sectional Content Analysis Study

“…YouTube's algorithm favors group accounts, resulting in over half of its uploaders being non-pro t organizations. This nding on YouTube is in agreement with previous studies on other diseases [2,5,9,20]. TikTok, with its stringent certi cation requirements, only allows certi ed attending/associate/chief doctors from grade 3 and rst-class hospitals (A hospital ranking system in China.…”

“…In recent decades, digital video, as an important carrier of information, has been widely used in patients' education. In otorhinolaryngology, YouTube and/or TikTok content has been investigated for the educational value of videos about cholesteatoma [9], pediatric tonsillectomy [10], middle ear ventilation tubes [10], rhinoplasty [12], tinnitus [13], and thyroid cancer [4,14,15]. Yet, the quality evaluation of videos related to laryngeal cancer remains absent.…”

A content analysis of YouTube videos on tinnitus in South Korea

“…Various medical information is being provided through YouTube videos, and patients can easily access this video clips. In the otolaryngology fields, the educational benefit of YouTube videos about cholesteatoma, tonsillectomy, ventilation tubes for serous otitis media, rhinoplasty, and thyroid cancer had been examined 6 , 8 , 10 , 16 – 18 . A recent study analyzing YouTube videos related to cholesteatoma revealed that the educational level of these videos was extremely low, and the content was reported to lack evidence-based information 8 .…”

“…In South Korea as well, according to an update from Google's advertising resources, as of early 2023, the number of YouTube users in South Korea was estimated at 46 million, representing 88.8% of the total population. A recent systematic review postulated that YouTube has emerged as a platform for promoting unscientific therapies and drugs that lack approval from appropriate regulatory process 7 , 8 . Likewise, although the number of YouTube videos about tinnitus has increased significantly, the reliability and accuracy of these videos have not been thoroughly evaluated, indicating a need for careful assessment of the information presented by YouTube.…”

YouTube as a source of information on preventing the use of valproic acid in women during pregnancy

“…However, the freedom of anyone to post videos has led to a mix of video content and a lack of professional review [20]. Therefore, it is crucial to assess the quality of the information delivered [21][22][23][24][25]. To our knowledge, no previous studies have investigated the use of YouTube™ as a source of video education for the prevention of valproic acid use in women during pregnancy.…”