#Coronavirus on TikTok: user engagement with misinformation as a potential threat to public health behavior

"Does My Kid Have an Ear Infection?" An Analysis of Pediatric Acute Otitis Media Videos on TikTok

INTRODUCTION

With the rise of social media, online platforms have become a common way to access healthcare information. This study examines the quality of pediatric acute otitis media (AOM) videos on TikTok, a popular short-form video social media platform.

METHODS

A TikTok search was conducted between 8/18 and 8/19/2023 using pediatric AOM hashtags: #pediatric acute otitis media management, #kid ear infections remedy, #child ear infections treatment, and #kid ear infection. Data collected include number of views/shares per day, uploader type (nonmedical influencer, lay individual, and medical professional), and content categories. The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Material (PEMAT-AV) and DISCERN questionnaire measured understandability, actionability, and quality of videos. Multivariable linear regression models were used (significance set at ≤0.05).

RESULTS

Of 166 videos, 38.6% (64) of uploaders were medical professionals, and 32.5% (54) were nonmedical influencers. Nonmedical influencer videos were viewed and shared significantly more than those by medical professionals (p < 0.05). Controlling for covariates, physicians were more likely to produce more beneficial and higher quality videos as compared with nonmedical influencers (β = 2.4 and 1.3, p < 0.01, respectively). However, physicians did not have significantly different ratings for understandability compared with nonmedical influencers (β = 0.45, p > 0.05).

DISCUSSION

AOM content on TikTok is often geared toward caretakers of symptomatic children. Although physician-created AOM content was significantly higher quality, these videos reached a statistically smaller audience than those from nonmedical influencers. Addressing misinformation on social media platforms requires physicians to reach larger audiences by producing more actionable and understandable content.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

NA Laryngoscope, 2024.

A Social Media Quality Review of Popular Sinusitis Videos on TikTok

OBJECTIVE

Social media may inform health care decisions among younger patient populations. TikTok is a social media platform that allows users to post short-form videos. This study aimed to assess the quality of sinusitis-related videos on TikTok.

STUDY DESIGN

We searched TikTok on January 29, 2023, for sinusitis-related hashtags: #sinusitis, #sinus, #sinusinfection.

SETTING

Internet.

METHODS

The number of views/shares per day, uploader type (nonmedical influencer, lay individual, and medical professional) content categories (medical advice, marketing, comedy, and lifestyle/acceptability), and content type (educational vs factual) were collected. The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Material and Journal of the American Medical Association criteria score was used to measure understandability, actionability, and reliability. The Global Quality Scale (GQS) was used to evaluate the quality of videos; the harm/benefit score was used to evaluate causative effects. Analyses were performed using analysis of variance (α = .05).

RESULTS

There were 221 videos identified, which garnered over 300 million views and 1 million shares. Almost half of the videos were published by nonmedical influencers. When controlling for covariates, nonmedical influencers and lay uploaders were more likely to have harmful harm/benefit scores, less understandable videos, and lower GQS scores compared to medical professionals. Less than half of videos posted by nonmedical influencers categorized as educational were factual (46.7%); lay individuals and medical professionals had higher rates of factual educational content (79.9% and 83.7%, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Most nonmedical influencer-posted TikTok videos about sinusitis are inaccurate, despite being portrayed as medical advice/educational. Rhinologists must find modern ways to disseminate true disease-related content via social media to combat medical misinformation.

An analysis of information about infantile hemangiomas on TikTok: A cross-sectional study

The video app TikTok, a controversial platform, has increasingly been utilized for the dissemination of health-related topics. In this study, the quality of information on the top 50 most viewed TikTok videos on infantile hemangiomas (IHs) labeled #hemangioma was analyzed. The results showed that the videos were skewed toward more severe subtypes of IH, and most were directed at raising awareness about IH or combating stigmatizing attitudes toward birthmarks. Providers should be aware that social media applications such as TikTok are a commonly used venue for parents to cope and connect but may relay inaccurate or misleading information.

Navigating the infodemic: A qualitative study of university students' information strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives

We aimed to study the strategies which university students developed for vetting information during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated infodemic.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured interviews with 34 students, using a piloted topic guide which explored several areas of pandemic experiences, including students' use of media. Transcripts were analysed inductively following the thematic approach. Higher order themes were finalised following a coding exercise undertaken by two of the authors.

Results

Participants were acutely aware of misinformation during the pandemic. They rated legacy news media (print and broadcast media with pre-Internet origins) higher than social media for reliable information about the pandemic. However, strikingly, not all legacy media were automatically trusted and not all social media were uniformly distrusted. Participants identified a set of mechanisms for establishing whether a piece of information was truthful and accurate. These mechanisms had four main focal points: (1) the source, (2) the message, (3) individual media literacy and (4) the trustworthiness of others. Despite possessing a critical awareness of misinformation, participants avoided posting anything in relation to the pandemic for fear of becoming the target of online abuse.

Conclusions

In addition to underscoring the role of media literacy, our research foregrounds the need to attend to the importance of fostering media confidence. We define media confidence as the ability of digital media users to challenge and interrogate questionable or inaccurate information safe in the knowledge that there are adequate regulatory mechanisms in place to curb abuse, trolling and intimidation.

Navigating Digital Dermatology: An Analysis of Acne-Related Content on TikTok

Background With TikTok's rising popularity as a hub for health information dissemination, the quality and nature of such content require assessment. This study investigates the popularity and quality of the top 100 most-liked videos tagged with "#acne" on TikTok. This study aims to examine the engagement and quality of acne-related content on TikTok, assess contributions from diverse sources, including physicians and non-physicians, and guide healthcare professionals in leveraging this platform for public health education. Methodology A cross-sectional analysis of the top 100 most-liked videos tagged with "#acne" on TikTok as of June 7, 2023, was conducted. Parameters assessed included the profession of the creator, gender, specialty, content type, and other observable characteristics. The quality was measured using the DISCERN tool. Results Of the dataset, 38 videos were by physicians and 29 by non-physicians. Physician-created content had higher mean views, likes, comments, shares, and favorites than non-physician-created content. Videos by dermatologists and non-dermatologists received similar engagement. Videos sharing personal experiences achieved the highest DISCERN score. Overall, DISCERN scores were uniformly low across all categories. Conclusions Physicians, especially dermatologists, are trusted sources of acne-related information on TikTok. The study underscores the need for professionals to provide reliable, evidence-based information on such platforms, guiding effective health communication in the digital age.