Critical evaluation of YouTube videos on colostomy and ileostomy: Can these videos be used as learning resources?

Learning cardiac embryology on YouTube-What videos are there to view?

In modern medical curricula, embryology is typically taught through lectures, with a few institutions providing tutorials. The use of 3-D videos or animations enables students to study these embryological structures and how they change with time. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of cardiac embryology videos available on YouTube. A systematic literature review regarding the use of YouTube in teaching or learning cardiac embryology identified no papers that examined this specific question, and next, a systematic search of YouTube was performed. A total of 1200 cardiac embryology videos were retrieved using 12 specific search terms, with 370 videos retrieved under two or more search terms and excluded. A further 511 videos were excluded under additional, specific criteria. The remaining 319 videos were evaluated with the YouTube Video Assessment Criteria (UTvAC), with 121 rated as "useful." Videos on YouTube are uploaded with a wide audience in mind, from children to cardiologists, and content control is imperfect. Multiple videos were identified as duplicates of videos from original channels, typically without attribution. While 49 videos showed operations or human material, none contained an ethical statement regarding consent, and only 10 of these included an age restriction or graphical advisory. While there are useful videos for medical students studying cardiac embryology on YouTube, intuitive search strategies will also identify many with irrelevant content and of variable quality. Digital competence and search strategies are not innate skills, so educators should teach students to assess information so as to avoid overload or "filter failure."

YouTube Videos Are a Moderately Comprehensive, Reliable, and Quality Option to Learn About "Multiple Sclerosis and Sexuality"

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the performance, comprehensiveness, reliability, and quality of English-language YouTube videos addressing the subject of multiple sclerosis and sexuality.

Methods

In August 2023, a search was conducted on a computer using the keywords "multiple sclerosis and sexuality," "multiple sclerosis and sexual health," "multiple sclerosis and sexual health problems," and "multiple sclerosis and sexual dysfunction" for this descriptive study. According to predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 38 videos that met the research purpose were examined. The related URLs were recorded. For each video, the following information was collected: content producers, performance with YouTube statistics, comprehensiveness with a form developed by researchers, reliability with Singh's Reliability Evaluation Form, and quality with Global Quality Scale. Two researchers independently evaluated the videos.

Results

Eighty-nine and a half percent of the videos contained information presented by professionals. The average number of views was 2699.132 ± 3382.848, the comprehensiveness score was 4.2 ± 1.711, the reliability score was 3.184 ± 1.182, and the quality score was 3.421 ± 1.2. Nearly half (42.2%) contained good and useful information for viewers, and half (50%) had high video quality. The reliability and quality scores of videos containing each item in terms of comprehensiveness were higher compared to videos that did not include that item (p < 0.05). In addition, the videos with higher comprehensiveness scores had higher quality and reliability scores (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

These results underscore the constrained performance attributes of YouTube videos addressing multiple sclerosis and sexuality, with their content exhibiting a moderate level of comprehensiveness, reliability, and quality. These results may provide a basis for increasing the effectiveness of YouTube videos on multiple sclerosis and sexuality.

#Anatomynotes: A temporal content analysis of anatomy education posts on Instagram

Social media platforms such as Instagram are becoming increasingly popular sources for students to access anatomy educational resources. This review used content analysis to examine posts under the hashtag #anatomynotes and is the first to map the characteristics of anatomy education posts on Instagram and determine any temporal changes. Sample posts were gathered from April 2019 and April 2021 and categorized according to the technical format, purpose and author credentials. Engagement was recorded in the form of likes and comments. Overall, posts depicting illustrations remained the most popular format within both time periods. Three-dimensional models saw an increase in popularity with a 62.5% rise. Students remained the most common author type throughout and increased further in 2021 by 25%. Clinician authors and posts focusing on clinical education also increased in 2021 by 17.9% and 227%, respectively. Humor-based posts saw the greatest increase among the post purposes, with 1000% more recorded in 2021. Engagement overall saw a decline with notably significant reductions in average likes per post among all text-based posts (-72%, p < 0.0001), all illustrative posts (-51%, p = 0.0013), and a decline in the presence of comments among all text-based posts (-65.1%, p = 0.0158). These findings highlight that Instagram is a popular platform for facilitating near-peer teaching while increasingly providing a space where students and clinicians can interact. Additionally, it highlights the benefits of the platform for visually focused learners. However, future research should seek to determine whether Instagram can facilitate deeper learning and have an impact on academic and clinical performance.

Evaluating YouTube as a Source of Education for Patients Undergoing Surgery: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this systematic review is to characterize the peer-reviewed literature investigating YouTube as a source of patient education for patients undergoing surgery.

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA

YouTube is the largest online video sharing platform and has become a substantial source of health information that patients are likely to access before surgery, yet there has been no systematic assessment of peer-reviewed studies. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Ovid HealthStar from inception through to December of 2021.

METHODS

All primary studies evaluating YouTube as a source of patient education relating to surgical procedures (general, cardiac, urology, otolaryngology, plastic, vascular) were included. Study screening and data extraction occurred in duplicate with two reviewers. Characteristics extracted included video length, view count, upload source, overall video educational quality, and quality of individual studies.

RESULTS

Among 6,453 citations, 56 studies were identified that examined 6,797 videos with 547 hours of content and 1.39 billion views. There were 49 studies that evaluated the educational quality of the videos. A total of 43 quality assessment tools were used, with each study using a mean of 1.90 assessment tools. Per the global rating for assessments, 34/49 studies (69%) concluded that the overall quality of educational content was poor.

CONCLUSIONS

While the impact of non-peer-reviewed YouTube videos on patient knowledge for surgery is unclear, the large amount of online content suggests that they are in demand. The overall educational content of these videos is poor, however, and there is substantial heterogeneity in the quality assessment tools used in their evaluation. A peer-reviewed and standardized approach to online education with video content is needed to better support patients.

Social Media Content on Immunology: Is an Assessment by the Scientific Community Required?

In recent years, vaccines and immunotherapy have become two of the most promising and effective tools in the fight against a wide range of diseases, from the common cold to cancer [...].

Making knowledge clips with patients: What learning mechanisms are triggered in medical students?

OBJECTIVE

To prepare medical students for a rapidly changing healthcare landscape, where new means of communication emerge, innovative teaching methods are needed. We developed a project-based learning course in which medical students design audiovisual patient information in collaboration with patients and with students in Communication and Information Sciences (CIS). We studied what learning mechanisms are triggered in medical students by elements of a project-based-learning course.

METHODS

In this qualitative study, twelve sixth year medical students that participated in the course were individually interviewed. Data were analyzed according to the principles of qualitative template analysis.

RESULTS

We identified four learning mechanisms: Challenging assumptions about patients' information needs; Becoming aware of the origin of patients' information needs; Taking a patient's perspective; Analyzing language to adapt to patients' needs. These learning mechanisms were activated by making a knowledge clip, collaborating with patients, and collaborating with CIS students.

CONCLUSION

Collaborating with patients helped students to recognize and understand patients' perspectives. Working on a tangible product in partnership with patients and CIS students, triggered students to apply their understanding in conveying information back to patients.

PRACTICE IMPLICATION

Based on our findings we encourage educators to involve patients as collaborators in authentic assignments for students so they can apply what they learned from taking patients' perspectives.

Medical education videos as a tool for rehearsal: efficiency and the cases of background music and difficulty

This study reports a field experiment investigating how instructional videos with and without background music contribute to the learning of examination techniques within a formal curriculum of medical teaching. Following a classroom teaching unit on the techniques for examining the knee and the shoulder joint, our participants (N = 175) rehearsed the studied techniques for either the knee or the shoulder joint with an instructional video with or without background music. As dependent measures, we collected a general questionnaire, a prediction of test performance, as well as performance on an exam-like knowledge test covering both joints. For both videos, the participants who had watched the particular video during rehearsal were more accurate in answering the corresponding questions than the participants who had seen the other video, signaling that instructional videos provide a useful tool for rehearsal (i.e., both groups reciprocally served as control groups). For the knee video (less difficult), we observed a detrimental effect of the background music, whereas we observed no such effect for the shoulder video (more difficult). Further explorations revealed that background music might be detrimental for learning, as it reduces the perceived demand characteristics. Because the impact of the demand characteristics might be more pronounced in less difficult instructional videos, we discuss video difficulty as a potential moderating factor. Overall, our study provides evidence that instructional videos could be usefully implemented in formal teaching curricula and that such instructional videos probably should be designed without background music.

Quality of English-language videos available on YouTube as a source of information on osteoporosis

Osteoporosis awareness is essential for preventing osteoporotic fractures. Social media platforms have enormous potential to both support and deter patients' decisions on healthcare. The current study demonstrated that the majority of YouTube videos on osteoporosis provide useful information with sufficient quality.

PURPOSE

YouTube is the most popular video-sharing platform for patients seeking online information about their medical condition. However, there are concerns regarding the accuracy and quality of YouTube content. We aimed to analyze the quality of English-language YouTube videos on osteoporosis.

METHODS

A YouTube search was performed on April 21, 2021, using the keywords "osteoporosis," "osteoporosis exercise," "osteoporosis diet," and "osteoporosis treatment." The reviewers recorded the content, source, and detailed characteristics of the included videos. The reliability and quality of the videos were analyzed using the modified DISCERN score and Global Quality Scale (GQS) score by a rheumatologist and endocrinologist.

RESULTS

Of the 400 videos screened, 238 were included in the study after applying the exclusion criteria. A total of 205 (86.1%) videos revealed useful information about osteoporosis whereas 33 (13.9%) were misleading. In terms of quality, 48% of the videos were of high quality, 34% were of moderate quality, and 18% were of low quality. The videos posted by universities and professional organizations had the highest modified DISCERN and GQS scores indicating high reliability and quality.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that the majority of YouTube videos on osteoporosis contained useful information with sufficient quality. However, physicians should be aware of misleading information and correct any misinformation during face-to-face meetings with patients. YouTube should consider creating partnerships with professional organizations in the field of osteoporosis to produce high-quality videos in line with their new health content policy.