Evaluation of Korean-Language COVID-19-Related Medical Information on YouTube: Cross-Sectional Infodemiology Study

Videos in Short-Video Sharing Platforms as Sources of Information on Colorectal Polyps: Cross-Sectional Content Analysis Study

BACKGROUND

Short videos have demonstrated huge potential in disseminating health information in recent years. However, to our knowledge, no study has examined information about colorectal polyps on short-video sharing platforms.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyze the content and quality of colorectal polyps-related videos on short-video sharing platforms.

METHODS

The terms "" (intestinal polyps) or "" (colonic polyps) or "" (rectal polyps) or "" (colorectal polyps) or "" (polyps of large intestine) were used to search in TikTok (ByteDance), WeChat (Tencent Holdings Limited), and Xiaohongshu (Xingyin Information Technology Limited) between May 26 and June 8, 2024, and then the top 100 videos for each search term on different platforms were included and recorded. The Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) score, the Global Quality Scale (GQS), the modified DISCERN, and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) were used to evaluate the content and quality of selected videos by 2 independent researchers. SPSS (version 22.0; IBM Corp) and GraphPad Prism (version 9.0; Dotmatics) were used for analyzing the data. Descriptive statistics were generated, and the differences between groups were compared. Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between quantitative variables.

RESULTS

A total of 816 eligible videos were included for further analysis, which mainly conveyed disease-related knowledge (n=635, 77.8%). Most videos were uploaded by physicians (n=709, 86.9%). These videos had an average JAMA score of 2.0 (SD 0.6), GQS score of 2.5 (SD 0.8), modified DISCERN score of 2.5 (SD 0.8), understandability of 80.4% (SD 15.6%), and actionability of 42.2% (SD 36.1%). Videos uploaded by news agencies were of higher quality and received more likes and comments (all P<.05). The number of collections and shares of videos about posttreatment caveats were more than those for other content (P=.03 and P=.006). There was a positive correlation between the number of likes, comments, collections, and shares (all P<.001). The duration and the number of fans were positively correlated with the quality of videos (all P<.05).

CONCLUSIONS

There are numerous videos about colorectal polyps on short-video sharing platforms, but the reliability and quality of these videos are not good enough and need to be improved.

YouTube as a source of information on reactive arthritis: a quality analysis

OBJECTIVE

YouTube is often used by patients and healthcare professionals to obtain medical information. Reactive arthritis (ReA) is a type of inflammatory arthritis triggered by infection, usually in the genitourinary or gastrointestinal tract. However, the accuracy and quality of ReA-related information on YouTube are not fully known. This study aimed to assess the reliability and quality of YouTube videos pertaining to ReA.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A YouTube search was performed on August 1, 2023, using the keywords "reactive arthritis," "Reiter's disease," and "Reiter's syndrome." The number of days since upload; the number of views, likes, and comments; and the duration of videos were recorded. The modified DISCERN tool (mDISCERN) and the global quality scale (GQS) were used to evaluate the reliability and quality of the videos. Two physicians independently classified videos as low, moderate, or high quality and rated them on a five-point GQS (1 = poor quality, 5 = excellent quality). The source of videos was also noted.

RESULTS

Of the 180 videos screened, 68 met the inclusion criteria. The most common topic (61, 89.7%) was "ReA overview." Among the 68 videos analyzed, the main source of uploads was physicians 45 (66.2%), and 66 (97%) were categorized as useful. Around half of the YouTube videos about ReA were of high quality (33, 48.5%) according to the GQS. Upon comparing videos uploaded by rheumatologists, non-rheumatology healthcare professionals, and independent users, significant differences were found in mDISCERN and GQS but not in the number of views, likes, and comments or duration. Upon comparing high-, moderate-, and low-quality videos, significant differences were found in the number of views, likes, and comments; duration; and in mDISCERN and GQS.

CONCLUSION

YouTube is a source of information on ReA of variable quality, with wide viewership and the potential to influence patients' knowledge and behavior. Our results showed that most YouTube videos on ReA were of high quality. Videos presented by physicians had higher quality. YouTube should consider avoiding low-quality videos by using validity scales such as mDISCERN and GQS.

Evaluation of the quality and content of YouTube videos as an educational resource in developing patients' inhaler use skills

BACKGROUND

YouTube has educational videos on inhalers. However, their content and quality are not adequately known.

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the quality and content of educational YouTube videos on inhalers.

METHODS

This descriptive study analyzed 178 YouTube videos on inhalers between May and July 2022. Two researchers independently evaluated the videos. The Global Quality Score (GQS), Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) Benchmark Criteria, and Inhaler Application Checklist (IAC) were used to assess the quality and content of the videos. Spearman's correlation, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, ANOVA, and Post hoc analysis Bonferroni test were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

The videos had a mean GQS score of 3.70 ± 1.24, and JAMA score of 2.22 ± 0.60. A negative correlation was between the quality score of the videos and views, likes, comments, duration, and likes/views (respectively; r = -0.237 p < 0.005, r = -0.217 p < 0.003, r = -0.220 p < 0.005, r = -0.147, p < 0.005). The videos narrated by nurses and doctors had significantly higher mean JAMA and GQS scores than others (p = 0.001). The videos missed some procedural steps [gargling (29.1%), adding no more than five ml of medication and device cleaning (41.9%), and exhaling through the nose (37.5%)]. Videos uploaded by individual missed significantly more procedural steps than professional organizations (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

YouTube videos about inhaler techniques have a moderate level of quality. Videos uploaded by doctors and nurses as content narrators were of higher quality. The videos missed some procedural steps. Individual video uploaders had higher missed procedural steps. Counseling should be provided to patients regarding the reliability of online information.

"Stay tuned": an exploratory content and thematic analysis of brain injury videos on YouTube

PURPOSE

This exploratory study aimed to examine brain injury videos on YouTube to determine who posted about brain injury, content categories of videos, and how brain injury was represented.

METHODS

A mixed methods approach was used. Brain injury videos on YouTube were collected in November 2022 and analysed quantitatively and qualitatively using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Visual data analysis was used to generate visual descriptions of a representative sample of the videos, and these were thematically analysed alongside the video transcripts.

RESULTS

The sample of 100 YouTube videos consisted of educational, lived experience, and promotional videos. Medical organisations and hospitals were the predominant source of videos. An overarching theme of "Video tells a story" was generated from eighteen visual descriptions and transcripts which contained three major themes: (a) we choose how the story is told, (b) recovery is a process, and (c) it changed my life.

CONCLUSION

YouTube may have a storytelling role for both people with a brain injury wishing to share their story and for health professionals wishing to communicate information about brain injury. This research may have clinical implications for the integration of YouTube in brain injury rehabilitation and the use of YouTube for health communication.

Qualitative research on undergraduate nursing students' recognition and response to short videos' health disinformation

Background

With the popularity of the internet, short videos have become an indispensable tool to obtain health information. However, avoiding health disinformation owing to the openness of the Internet is difficult for users. Disinformation may endanger the health and lives of users.

Objective

With a focus on the process of identifying short videos' health disinformation and the factors affecting the accuracy of identification, this study aimed to investigate the identification methods, coping strategies, and the impact of short videos' health disinformation on undergraduate nursing students. The findings will provide guidance to users on obtaining high-quality and healthy information, in addition to reducing health risks.

Methods

Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 22 undergraduate nursing students in October 2022, and data were collected for collation and content analyses.

Results

The techniques used to identify short videos that include health disinformation as well as how undergraduate nursing students perceived these videos' features are among the study's findings. The failure factors in identification, coping paths, and adverse impacts of short videos on health disinformation were analyzed. The platform, the material itself, and the students' individual characteristics all have an impact on their identifying behavior.

Conclusions

Medical students continue to face many obstacles in identifying and responding to health disinformation through short videos. Preventing and stopping health disinformation not only requires individual efforts to improve health literacy and maintain rational thinking, it also requires the joint efforts of short video producers, relevant departments, and platforms.

The coronavirus disease 2019 infodemic: a concept analysis

Aim

This study aimed to analyze the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infodemic phenomenon in the medical field, providing essential data to help healthcare professionals understand it.

Methods

This study utilized a hybrid model for concept analysis. In the theoretical phase (first phase), a literature review was conducted using ScienceDirect, PubMed, CINAHL, ProQuest, Scopus, Web of Science, DBpia, RISS, and KISS. Semi-structured interviews, involving eight physicians and six nurses, were used in the fieldwork phase (second phase). In the final analysis phase (third phase), the results of the preceding phases were combined.

Results

Based on the findings of these phases, the COVID-19 infodemic can be defined as "the phenomenon of information flood, reproduction, dissemination, and asymmetry, which occurred during the pandemic through social networks among the public lacking essential knowledge of infectious disease, and is associated with negative and positive effects."

Conclusion

Our findings can help the Ministry of Health and Welfare and healthcare professionals to understand the phenomenon of the infodemic and prepare necessary strategies and education programs for the public. Therefore, the provision of basic data is important for developing influential roles for healthcare professionals during infectious disease outbreaks.

Medical Misinformation in Polish on the World Wide Web During the COVID-19 Pandemic Period: Infodemiology Study

BACKGROUND

Although researchers extensively study the rapid generation and spread of misinformation about the novel coronavirus during the pandemic, numerous other health-related topics are contaminating the internet with misinformation that have not received as much attention.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to gauge the reach of the most popular medical content on the World Wide Web, extending beyond the confines of the pandemic. We conducted evaluations of subject matter and credibility for the years 2021 and 2022, following the principles of evidence-based medicine with assessments performed by experienced clinicians.

METHODS

We used 274 keywords to conduct web page searches through the BuzzSumo Enterprise Application. These keywords were chosen based on medical topics derived from surveys administered to medical practitioners. The search parameters were confined to 2 distinct date ranges: (1) January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021; (2) January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022. Our searches were specifically limited to web pages in the Polish language and filtered by the specified date ranges. The analysis encompassed 161 web pages retrieved in 2021 and 105 retrieved in 2022. Each web page underwent scrutiny by a seasoned doctor to assess its credibility, aligning with evidence-based medicine standards. Furthermore, we gathered data on social media engagements associated with the web pages, considering platforms such as Facebook, Pinterest, Reddit, and Twitter.

RESULTS

In 2022, the prevalence of unreliable information related to COVID-19 saw a noteworthy decline compared to 2021. Specifically, the percentage of noncredible web pages discussing COVID-19 and general vaccinations decreased from 57% (43/76) to 24% (6/25) and 42% (10/25) to 30% (3/10), respectively. However, during the same period, there was a considerable uptick in the dissemination of untrustworthy content on social media pertaining to other medical topics. The percentage of noncredible web pages covering cholesterol, statins, and cardiology rose from 11% (3/28) to 26% (9/35) and from 18% (5/28) to 26% (6/23), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Efforts undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic to curb the dissemination of misinformation seem to have yielded positive results. Nevertheless, our analysis suggests that these interventions need to be consistently implemented across both established and emerging medical subjects. It appears that as interest in the pandemic waned, other topics gained prominence, essentially "filling the vacuum" and necessitating ongoing measures to address misinformation across a broader spectrum of health-related subjects.

Text-Mining and Video Analytics of COVID-19 Narratives Shared by Patients on YouTube

This study explores how individuals who have experienced COVID-19 share their stories on YouTube, focusing on the nature of information disclosure, public engagement, and emotional impact pertaining to consumer health. Using a dataset of 186 YouTube videos, we used text mining and video analytics techniques to analyze textual transcripts and visual frames to identify themes, emotions, and their relationship with viewer engagement metrics. Findings reveal eight key themes: infection origins, symptoms, treatment, mental well-being, isolation, prevention, government directives, and vaccination. While viewers engaged most with videos about infection origins, treatment, and vaccination, fear and sadness in the text consistently drove views, likes, and comments. Visuals primarily conveyed happiness and sadness, but their influence on engagement varied. This research highlights the crucial role YouTube plays in disseminating COVID-19 patient narratives and suggests its potential for improving health communication strategies. By understanding how emotions and content influence viewer engagement, healthcare professionals and public health officials can tailor their messaging to better connect with the public and address pandemic-related anxieties.

The reliability and quality of YouTube videos as a source of breath holding spell

BACKGROUND

Breath holding spells (BHS) are an important non-epileptic condition that is common in childhood and causes concern to families. YouTube is a powerful social media tool for accessing diseases and information such as BHS in child health. The aim of the study was to measure of the quality and reliability levels of the videos published in English on BHS uploaded on YouTube.

METHODS

The key words "infant", "cry", "breath holding spells", holding spells" and "breath spells" were searched on the YouTube on November 14, 2022, in this study. Along with the general features of the videos, their quality and reliability were evaluated according to the global quality score (GQS), mDISCERN score.

RESULTS

Fifty-five videos were evaluated. The mDISCERN and GQS scores of the videos in the useful group were higher than those in the misleading group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001). In the useful group, 87.5% of academic institutions and 93.3% of medical doctors (MDs) uploaded high-score GQS videos, while this rate was 16.7% in independent users (p = 0.005). The positive correlation was found between mDISCERN and GQS scores (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The majority of YouTube videos on BHS contained useful information with sufficient quality. Professional associations such as universities and academic institutes need to produce better quality videos to provide families/users with more accurate and up-to-date information about BHS. We emphasize that YouTube should analyse videos published in the field of health, especially in the field of pediatrics, such as BHS, with committees consisting of expert health professionals, and publish them after evaluation. YouTube should consider collaborating with professional pediatrics health organizations such as American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), academic institutes and universities in the field of BHS to produce high-quality videos.

Quality Assessment of YouTube Videos on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for Cancer Using a Newly Developed Tool

BACKGROUND

The global burden of cancer continues to rise and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is attracting a lot of interest. However, quality of online information on CAM, particularly on platforms like YouTube, remains questionable. This study aimed to create a comprehensive assessment tool to assess the quality of CAM-related YouTube videos, crucial for informed decision-making in oncology.

METHODS

The assessment tool was developed by adapting existing criteria for website content analysis to video rating. A YouTube search was conducted using German-language terms related to CAM ("complementary medicine (CM) for cancer" and "alternative medicine (AM) for cancer"). In total 25 videos were assessed based on the defined criteria and assigned to five different types of providers (journalism, healthcare organization, hospital or health insurance, independent person, non-medical organization). Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics 27.

RESULTS

Interrater reliability analysis showed an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) of .91, indicating good to excellent agreement. The average video result was of poor quality, with none of the videos meeting all criteria. The videos achieved a mean rating of 38.2 points (SD: 6.5 points; possible range: 20-60 points). Journalism-based videos showed the most views per days, particularly surpassing those from hospitals or health insurance providers (Kruskal-Wallis-Test: z = 3.14, P = .02). However, there was no statistically significant correlation between video quality and the type of provider or interaction indices. Videos retrieved under the search term "CM" generally scored higher in quality than those under "AM" (Mann-Whitney U test: U = 39.5, P = .04). Nonetheless, "CM" videos were less frequently viewed (Mann-Whitney U test: U = 31.0, P = .01).

CONCLUSION

This study, the first of its kind focusing on CAM in cancer care emphasized the challenges in identifying credible sources on social media platforms such as YouTube. The developed assessment tool offers a more detailed evaluation method for health-related videos but requires further refinement and testing. Collaboration between healthcare and media entities is suggested to improve the dissemination of reliable information on platforms like YouTube.

Pneumonia: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Quality and Reliability of the Content on Instagram

INTRODUCTION

In today's society, Instagram (Meta Platforms, Inc., Menlo Park, California, United States) has grown to be a platform of enormous importance. It has completely changed the way we connect, share, and consume content, with several active users. Instagram may be a powerful tool for education, helping to inform and raise public awareness of a range of health conditions, including pneumonia. The present paper aims to evaluate and analyze the type, quality, and reliability of information about pneumonia being shared on Instagram.

METHODOLOGY

Using the hashtags  #pneumonia, #pneumoniasucks, #pneumoniatreatment, #pneumoniaawareness, #pneumoniaviral, #pneumoniaisnojoke, data regarding the type of post, number of audience reached, and type of uploader was collected from the related Instagram posts. Global Quality Scale (GQS) and DISCERN scores were used to analyze the collected data.

RESULTS

A total of 600 posts were initially evaluated, of which only 418 posts (69.67%) met the inclusion criteria. Images (79.7%) were the most common type of post. Hospitals (31.34%) and survivors/patients (18.9%) were the most common uploaders. There was a statistically significant difference in the quality (GQS) of posts uploaded by doctors, hospitals, healthcare organizations, patient survivors, and others (p <0.001).  Conclusions: There is a significant difference in the quality of posts uploaded by healthcare organizations compared to other groups. Government agencies and medical organizations impose tougher rules on the quality and trustworthiness of the type of healthcare-related information transmitted in order to minimize the distribution of low-quality and unreliable information.

Evaluation of the Quality and Reliability of YouTube Videos With Turkish Content as an Information Source for Gynecological Cancers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Aim During the COVID-19 pandemic, YouTube became a critical information source for people seeking information about several diseases, including benign and malignant gynecological disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the quality and reliability of YouTube videos with Turkish content as an information source for gynecological cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods The research was performed between December 2nd and 5th, 2020. Two gynecologists searched the terms in Turkish; 'yumurtalık kanseri, COVID-19', 'rahim kanseri, coronavirus', 'rahim ağzı kanseri, COVID-19', 'kadın üreme sistemi kanseri, coronavirus', and 'jinekolojik kanserler, COVID-19'. on YouTube. 'Yumurtalık kanseri', 'rahim kanseri', 'rahim agzı kanseri', 'kadın üreme sistemi kanserleri' and 'jinekolojik kanserler' are the translations for "ovarian cancer, COVID-19", "endometrial cancer, coronavirus", "cervical cancer, COVID-19", "female reproductive system cancers, coronavirus", and "gynecological cancers, COVID-19" in the Turkish language, respectively. Videos were categorized into three groups depending on the upload source: the informative group, the personal experience group, and the news agency group. Moreover, DISCERN, the Medical Information and Content Index (MICI), the Video Information and Quality Index (VIQI) were evaluated. Results A total of 57 videos were categorized as informative. Additionally, 22 videos and 18 videos were classified as patient experience videos and new agency videos, respectively. Patients who experienced videos had a significantly higher view number (p=0.001). The number of dislikes and DISCERN score were markedly better in favor of informative videos (p=0.009 and p=0.001). The MICI score was calculated as 13.0±1.8 for informative videos. The total VIQI score was 11.9 for informative videos, 8.8 for patient experience videos, and 7.2 for new agency videos (p = 0.001). Conclusions YouTube videos with Turkish content about gynecological cancers are easily accessible resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient-published videos are the most preferred YouTube videos by Turkish citizens, and informative videos have a considerably lower dislike rate. According to the MICI score and significantly better DISCERN and VIQI scores, informative videos have acceptable quality.

The Quality of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting Videos on YouTube

Objective  YouTube (YouTube LLC, San Bruno, California, United States), one of the most accessed sites on the internet, has become a widespread source of healthcare information for patients. Videos about coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) have accrued tens of millions of views on the platform, yet their educational quality is unknown. This study investigates the educational landscape of videos regarding CABG procedures on YouTube. Methods YouTube was queried for "Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery" and "Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Procedure". After applying exclusion criteria, 73 videos were assessed. Two independent reviewers rated the material with the Global Quality Scale (GQS) (5 = high quality, 0 = low quality) to judge educational value. A ratio of view count to days since upload was applied to assess video popularity. Source, modality, and date of upload were recorded for each video as well. Results An average GQS score of 2.94 was found, indicating poor educational quality of the 73 YouTube videos on CABG procedures. Videos uploaded by physicians (56/73; 76.7%) had a significantly higher average GQS score than those uploaded by non-physicians (p<0.001). When content was grouped by delivery method, physician-led presentations (24/73 or 32.9%) produced the highest average GQS score of 3.35; conversely, patient-friendly delivery methods (18/73 or 24.7%) yielded the lowest average GQS score of 2.36 (p<0.001). Neither the view ratio nor the days since upload significantly correlated with the educational quality of the video. Conclusion Although CABG videos are readily available on YouTube, they often contain considerable biases and misleading information. With online sources for healthcare education now commonplace, physicians must be aware of the vast quantities of low-quality videos patients often encounter when weighing different treatment options. Further analysis of CABG videos on YouTube may allow physicians to ameliorate this gap by producing videos that are not only high quality but highly viewed on the platform.

The Reliability and Quality of YouTube Videos as a Source of Information on Buerger's Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Patients are increasingly referring to the internet after a diagnosis of vascular disease. This study was performed to quantitatively define the accuracy and reliability of information on YouTube regarding Buerger's Disease (BD).

METHODS

A systematic search of YouTube was conducted using BD and thromboangiitis obliterans keywords. The default YouTube search setting of "relevance" was used to replicate an average search attempt, and the first 50 results from each keyword search were reviewed and analyzed by 2 independent reviewers. Descriptive characteristics, Journal of the American Medical Association Score (JAMAS), modified DISCERN score, Global Quality Score (GQS) were used to record data.

RESULTS

A total of 50 videos were reviewed for the study. The mean JAMAS, modified DISCERN, and GQS values among the videos were 2.06/4.00 (standard deviation [SD], 0.91), 2.36/5.00 (SD, 1.39), and 2.6/5.00 (SD, 1.16) respectively. When the videos were analyzed according to the user types uploading them, the modified DISCERN score was found to be significantly higher (3.57/5.00 SD, 0.97) in the videos uploaded by vascular surgeons (P = 0.029). High-quality videos were determined as more recent (P = 0.048). It was observed that the modified DISCERN and JAMA scores increased as the video quality increased.

CONCLUSIONS

While variable in source and content, the completeness and reliability of the information presented on YouTube about BD is poor. We believe that these videos should be uploaded more up-to-date and comprehensively by medical professionals, especially medical doctors.

Assessment of the content and quality of YouTube videos related zygomatic implants: A content-quality analysis

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to evaluate the content and quality of YouTube videos of zygomatic implants.

METHODS

According to Google Trends (2021), "zygomatic implant" was the most preferred keyword related to the topic. Therefore, in this study "zygomatic implant" was used as a keyword for the video search. Demographic characteristics such as the number of views, likes/dislikes, comments, video duration, number of days after upload, uploaders, and target audiences of the videos were evaluated. To evaluate the accuracy and content quality of videos (available from YouTube), the video information and quality index (VIQI) and global quality scale (GQS) were used. Statistical analyses were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, Fisher's exact chi-square test, Yates continuity correction, and Spearman correlation analysis (p < 0.05).

RESULTS

A total of 151 videos were searched; 90 met all inclusion criteria. According to the video content score, 78.9% of the videos were identified as low content, 20% as moderate, and 1.1% as high content. There was no statistical difference between the groups in video demographic characteristics (p > 0.001). Conversely, information flow, accuracy of information, video quality and precision, and total VIQI scores were statistically different between the groups. The moderate-content group had a higher GQS score than the low-content group (p < 0.001). The videos were mainly uploaded (40%) from hospitals and universities. Most videos were targeted toward professionals (46.75%). Low-content videos had higher ratings than the moderate- and high-content videos.

CONCLUSIONS

Most YouTube videos on zygomatic implants showed low-content quality. This implies that YouTube is not a reliable source of information on zygomatic implants. Dentists, prosthodontists, and oral and maxillofacial surgeons should be aware of the content of video-sharing platforms and take responsibility for enriching video content.

Three Cities on YouTube

Local governments are enhancing their governance through various information communication technologies (ICTs). This article presents an exploratory case study of three municipalities within the United States, examining how each applies YouTube for communication. Using content analysis and selected statistical tests of mean difference, the authors analyzed the videos uploaded between January 2020 to August 2020. The three municipalities used YouTube to document policymaking, publicize programs and services, update critical information during times of crises, and, in some cases, create unique brand images. The average number of views per video were similar across the three YouTube channels. However, one of the municipalities received a statistically significant number of average likes per video, which spotlights its positive brand image. In conclusion, the authors suggest directions for future research and recommend practices for social media adaptation in government.

The quality and reliability analysis of YouTube videos about insulin resistance

AIM

There is an increasing trend in the use of internet as a search tool for health-related informations. Insulin resistance is one of the most searched subjects online and some of the videos about insulin resistance have been watched by millions of YouTube users. This study aims to determine the quality and reliability of the most popular videos about insulin resistance on YouTube.

METHODS

On March 1, 2022, the term "insulin resistance" was searched on YouTube. The videos' popularity was assessed with Video Power Index (VPI). The quality and reliability were assessed with DISCERN score, modified DISCERN score and global quality score (GQS).

RESULTS

A total of 100 most popular videos were evaluated after applying the exclusion criteria. Fifty-four percent of the videos were very poor-poor, 35 % moderate, and 11 % good-excellent quality. Although few in number, the videos with relatively higher quality and more reliable had higher numbers of views, likes and comments (p < 0.01). There was a positive correlation between DISCERN score and VPI, duration, view, like, dislike, comment numbers of the videos (p < 0.01). Healthcare providers uploaded 58 % of the videos, while independent users uploaded 42 %. Video like ratio (VLR) at healthcare providers' videos was significantly higher than independent users' videos (p = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the high viewing rates of YouTube videos about insulin resistance, the overall quality and reliability were found to be very low. However, when high quality content regarding popular medical topics is produced, more people can be informed correctly.

COVID-19 Information on YouTube: Analysis of Quality and Reliability of Videos in Eleven Widely Spoken Languages across Africa

Introduction

Whilst the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination rollout is well underway, there is a concern in Africa where less than 2% of global vaccinations have occurred. In the absence of herd immunity, health promotion remains essential. YouTube has been widely utilised as a source of medical information in previous outbreaks and pandemics. There are limited data on COVID-19 information on YouTube videos, especially in languages widely spoken in Africa. This study investigated the quality and reliability of such videos.

Methods

Medical information related to COVID-19 was analysed in 11 languages (English, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, Nigerian Pidgin, Hausa, Twi, Arabic, Amharic, French, and Swahili). Cohen's Kappa was used to measure inter-rater reliability. A total of 562 videos were analysed. Viewer interaction metrics and video characteristics, source, and content type were collected. Quality was evaluated using the Medical Information Content Index (MICI) scale and reliability was evaluated by the modified DISCERN tool.

Results

Kappa coefficient of agreement for all languages was p < 0.01. Informative videos (471/562, 83.8%) accounted for the majority, whilst misleading videos (12/562, 2.13%) were minimal. Independent users (246/562, 43.8%) were the predominant source type. Transmission of information (477/562 videos, 84.9%) was most prevalent, whilst content covering screening or testing was reported in less than a third of all videos. The mean total MICI score was 5.75/5 (SD 4.25) and the mean total DISCERN score was 3.01/5 (SD 1.11).

Conclusion

YouTube is an invaluable, easily accessible resource for information dissemination during health emergencies. Misleading videos are often a concern; however, our study found a negligible proportion. Whilst most videos were fairly reliable, the quality of videos was poor, especially noting a dearth of information covering screening or testing. Governments, academic institutions, and healthcare workers must harness the capability of digital platforms, such as YouTube to contain the spread of misinformation.

Protocol of a scoping review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses about COVID-19 vaccines and associated adverse events from vaccination

The continuous dissemination of coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) literature can inform decision-makers and the public. Since the widespread use of COVID-19 vaccines, more systematic reviews have summarized the effectiveness and reported adverse events associated with vaccination. Previous systematic and scoping reviews on COVID-19 summarized various aspects surrounding COVID-19, however, a scoping review is needed to summarize the characteristics of COVID-19 vaccines and associated adverse events reported in systematic reviews and meta-analyses to provide comprehensive evidence for informed medical decision-making. We will conduct a scoping review concerning COVID-19 vaccines and adverse events from vaccines. We will search from December 2019 to present in Epistemonikos, Campbell Library, CINAHL (Ovid), MEDLINE (Ovid), Scopus, CENTRAL (Ovid), Web of Science, WHO COVID-19 database, Joanna Briggs Institute of Excellence, and COVID-19 Evidence Reviews resource. We will include systematic reviews, meta-analyses, or both of randomized controlled trials and observational studies and exclude individual randomized controlled trials and observational studies. Abstracts and full-texts will be screened prior to selection. Investigators will independently use a calibrated quantitative and qualitative data extraction sheet and rate the quality of articles with AMSTAR, resolving disagreements to aim for good agreement (≥80%). An updated scoping review of the characteristics and safety of COVID-19 vaccines would highlight the accuracy of the evidence to inform decision-making concerning COVID-19 vaccination.

From Facebook to YouTube: The Potential Exposure to COVID-19 Anti-Vaccine Videos on Social Media

This article examines the role of Facebook and YouTube in potentially exposing people to COVID-19 vaccine-related misinformation. Specifically, to study the potential level of exposure, the article models a uni-directional information-sharing pathway beginning when a Facebook user encounters a vaccine-related post with a YouTube video, follows this video to YouTube, and then sees a list of related videos automatically recommended by YouTube. The results demonstrate that despite the efforts by Facebook and YouTube, COVID-19 vaccine-related misinformation in the form of anti-vaccine videos propagates on both platforms. Because of these apparent gaps in platform-led initiatives to combat misinformation, public health agencies must be proactive in creating vaccine promotion campaigns that are highly visible on social media to overtake anti-vaccine videos' prominence in the network. By examining related videos that a user potentially encounters, the article also contributes practical insights to identify influential YouTube channels for public health agencies to collaborate with on their public service announcements about the importance of vaccination programs and vaccine safety.

Quality of healthcare information on YouTube: psoriatic arthritis

BACKGROUND

YouTube is an increasingly used platform for medical information. However, the validity of health-related information on psoriatic arthritis (PsA) on YouTube has not been determined.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy and quality of YouTube videos concerning PsA.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A YouTube search was performed on April 18, 2021, using the keyword "psoriatic arthritis." Two independent raters accessed the content, source, and detailed characteristics of the included videos. The reliability and quality of the videos were analyzed using the modified DISCERN score, Journal of the American Medical Association benchmark criteria score, and global quality scale score.

RESULTS

Of the 200 videos screened, 155 were included in the study after applying the exclusion criteria. A total of 132 (85.2%) videos revealed useful information about PsA, whereas the remaining 23 (14.8%) were misleading. Video interaction parameters including the median number of views, views per day, likes, dislikes, and comments demonstrated no significant difference between the two groups. The videos posted by universities and professional organizations displayed the highest reliability and quality scores.

CONCLUSION

The majority of YouTube videos on PsA contained useful information. However, physicians should alert patients to the possibility of misinformation and non-validated sources. Professional organizations in the field of rheumatology, such as the American College of Rheumatology and European League Against Rheumatism, should consider collaborating with YouTube to deliver high-quality content.

YouTube as a source of information on infantile colic

BACKGROUND

YouTube is increasingly used by patients and parents as a source of information in the field of health. The aim of the study was to measure the quality and reliability levels of the videos published in English on infantile colic (IC) uploaded on YouTube.

METHODS

A YouTube search was achieved by two authors using the key words "infantile colic," "baby", "colic", "children" and "treatment". Along with the general features of the videos, their quality and reliability were evaluated according to the global quality score (GQS), modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) score.

RESULTS

Among the 55 videos included in the study, 25 (55.6%) were high quality, 19 (42.2%) medium quality and 11 (2.2%) low quality. The mDISCERN and GQS scores of the videos in the useful group were higher than those in the misleading group (p < 0.001). Videos uploaded by academic institutes and physicians had higher mDISCERN and GQS scores than other groups (p = 0.045, p = 0.005) and positive correlation detected between mDISCERN and GQS scores (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

IC videos broadcasted on YouTube, whose usage rates are increasing with the COVID-19 pandemic, are a useful data source for patients/parents. Digital video resources provided by academic institutions, universities and healthcare professionals can assist physicians and parents in IC pathophysiology and treatment.

Quality Assessment of Hypertension Treatment–Related Information on WeChat: Cross-sectional Study

Background

The WeChat platform has become a primary source for medical information in China. However, no study has been conducted to explore the quality of information on WeChat for the treatment of hypertension, the leading chronic condition.

Objective

This study aimed to explore the quality of information in articles on WeChat that are related to hypertension treatment from the aspects of credibility, concreteness, accuracy, and completeness.

Methods

We searched for all information related to hypertension treatment on WeChat based on several inclusion and exclusion criteria. We used 2 tools to evaluate information quality, and 2 independent reviewers performed the assessment with the 2 tools separately. First, we adopted the DISCERN instrument to assess the credibility and concreteness of the treatment information, with the outcomes classified into five grades: excellent, good, fair, poor, and very poor. Second, we applied the Chinese Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension (2018 edition) to evaluate the accuracy and completeness of the article information with regard to specific medical content. Third, we combined the results from the 2 assessments to arrive at the overall quality of the articles and explored the differences between, and associations of, the 2 independent assessments.

Results

Of the 223 articles that were retrieved, 130 (58.3%) full texts were included. Of these 130 articles, 81 (62.3%) described therapeutic measures for hypertension. The assessment based on the DISCERN instrument reported a mean score of 31.22 (SD 8.46). There were no articles rated excellent (mean score >63); most (111/130, 85.4%) of the articles did not refer to the consequences—in particular, quality of life—of no treatment. For specific medical content, adherence to the Chinese Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension was generally low in terms of accuracy and completeness, and there was much erroneous information. The overall mean quality score was 10.18 (SD 2.22) for the 130 articles, and the scores differed significantly across the 3 types (P=.03) and 5 sources (P=.02). Articles with references achieved higher scores for quality than those reporting none (P<.001). The results from the DISCERN assessment and the medical content scores were highly correlated (ρ=0.58; P<.001).

Conclusions

The quality of hypertension treatment–related information on the WeChat platform is low. Future work is warranted to regulate information sources and strengthen references. For the treatment of hypertension, crucial information on the consequences of no treatment is urgently needed.

Quality of web-based information about the coronavirus disease 2019: a rapid systematic review of infodemiology studies published during the first year of the pandemic

BACKGROUND

Following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019, adequate public information was of outmost importance. The public used the Web extensively to read information about the pandemic, which placed significant responsibility in, for many, an unfamiliar situation as the disease spread across the globe. The aim of this review was to synthesize the quality of web-based information concerning the coronavirus disease 2019 published during the first year of the pandemic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A rapid systematic review was undertaken by searching five electronic databases (CINAHL, Communication & Mass Media Complete, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus). Empirical infodemiology reports assessing quality of information were included (n = 22). Methodological quality and risk of bias was appraised with tools modified from previous research, while quality assessment scores were synthesized with descriptive statistics. Topics illustrating comprehensiveness were categorized with content analysis.

RESULTS

The included reports assessed text-based content (n = 13) and videos (n = 9). Most were rated good overall methodological quality (n = 17). In total, the reports evaluated 2,654 websites or videos and utilized 46 assessors. The majority of the reports concluded that websites and videos had poor quality (n = 20). Collectively, readability levels exceeded the recommended sixth grade level. There were large variations in ranges of the reported mean or median quality scores, with 13 of 15 total sample scores being classified as poor or moderate quality. Four studies reported that ≥ 28% of websites contained inaccurate statements. There were large variations in prevalence for the six categories illustrating comprehensiveness.

CONCLUSION

The results highlight quality deficits of web-based information about COVID-19 published during the first year of the pandemic, suggesting a high probability that this hindered the general population from being adequately informed when faced with the new and unfamiliar situation. Future research should address the highlighted quality deficits, identify methods that aid citizens in their information retrieval, and identify interventions that aim to improve the quality of information in the online landscape.

Effectiveness of Social Video Platforms in Promoting COVID-19 Vaccination Among Youth: A Content-Specific Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccination Topic Videos on Bilibili

Background

With the widespread promotion of the COVID-19 vaccination in China, videos about the vaccination have become increasingly available on social video platforms. With the User Generated Content model, different creators’ interpretations of COVID-19 vaccines may influence the attitudes towards the vaccines and vaccination.

Objective

To explore the overview of COVID-19 vaccine-related videos on Bilibili, discussing the communication effects of COVID-19 topic videos and its influencing factors.

Methods

A content analysis was applied to the 202 video samples obtained through data mining regarding the creator’s information, video presentation, and COVID-19 vaccine-related content.

Results

Individuals and medical professionals preferred VLOG videos, media chose to upload informational videos, and enterprises preferred to post showcase videos. Individuals were more likely to discuss the adverse reactions in their videos, while medical professionals were more likely to discuss the vaccination process for the COVID-19 vaccine. Videos with core issues positively influenced the video’s dissemination breadth. The attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine in the videos positively influence the recognition of the videos. The richness of knowledge points related to the COVID-19 vaccine negatively affected the recognition and participation.

Conclusion

Social video platforms could play an active role in the vaccination promotion for the youth. Health promotion-related departments and individuals could strengthen agenda setting, grasp the characteristics of young groups, and express positive attitudes toward health issues to achieve better health (vaccine) promotion.

Supporting Vaccination on TikTok During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Vaccine Beliefs, Emotions, and Comments

TikTok has been one of the most important social media platforms where pandemic-related information converged and has been disseminated. However, how vaccination-related visual content, particularly pro-vaccine videos, influences audiences remains unclear. Using Betsch et al.’s 5C model and Ekman’s basic emotion model, we identified 200 trending videos under the hashtag #vaccine on TikTok, and examined the types of vaccine-related beliefs and emotions expressed in videos and the relationship between beliefs, emotions, and supportive comments. Confidence and joy were the most frequently expressed belief and emotion, respectively; confidence (B = 14.84, P &lt; 0.05), surprise (B = 11.29, P &lt; 0.05), and sadness (B = 37.49, P &lt; 0.01) predicted the number of supportive comments. This study expands the 5C framework of vaccine hesitancy into the analysis of pro-vaccine content on social media and offers detailed insights into the specific type of beliefs and emotions and their effects. Practical implications regarding how to address vaccine hesitancy are discussed.

From science to politics: COVID-19 information fatigue on YouTube

Objective

The COVID-19 pandemic is the first pandemic where social media platforms relayed information on a large scale, enabling an “infodemic” of conflicting information which undermined the global response to the pandemic. Understanding how the information circulated and evolved on social media platforms is essential for planning future public health campaigns. This study investigated what types of themes about COVID-19 were most viewed on YouTube during the first 8 months of the pandemic, and how COVID-19 themes progressed over this period.

Methods

We analyzed top-viewed YouTube COVID-19-related videos in English from December 1, 2019 to August 16, 2020 with an open inductive content analysis. We coded 536 videos associated with 1.1 billion views across the study period. East Asian countries were the first to report the virus, while most of the top-viewed videos in English were from the US. Videos from straight news outlets dominated the top-viewed videos throughout the outbreak, and public health authorities contributed the fewest. Although straight news was the dominant COVID-19 video source with various types of themes, its viewership per video was similar to that for entertainment news and YouTubers after March.

Results

We found, first, that collective public attention to the COVID-19 pandemic on YouTube peaked around March 2020, before the outbreak peaked, and flattened afterwards despite a spike in worldwide cases. Second, more videos focused on prevention early on, but videos with political themes increased through time. Third, regarding prevention and control measures, masking received much less attention than lockdown and social distancing in the study period.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that a transition of focus from science to politics on social media intensified the COVID-19 infodemic and may have weakened mitigation measures during the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is recommended that authorities should consider co-operating with reputable social media influencers to promote health campaigns and improve health literacy. In addition, given high levels of globalization of social platforms and polarization of users, tailoring communication towards different digital communities is likely to be essential.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13151-7.

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.

Social Media Use and Misinformation Among Asian Americans During COVID-19

Social media has been crucial for seeking and communicating COVID-19 information. However, social media has also promulgated misinformation, which is particularly concerning among Asian Americans who may rely on in-language information and utilize social media platforms to connect to Asia-based networks. There is limited literature examining social media use for COVID-19 information and the subsequent impact of misinformation on health behaviors among Asian Americans. This perspective reviews recent research, news, and gray literature to examine the dissemination of COVID-19 misinformation on social media platforms to Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and South Asian Americans. We discuss the linkage of COVID-19 misinformation to health behaviors, with emphasis on COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and vaccine decision-making in Asian American communities. We then discuss community- and research-driven responses to investigate misinformation during the pandemic. Lastly, we propose recommendations to mitigate misinformation and address the COVID-19 infodemic among Asian Americans.

YouTube as a source of information about COVID-19 for children: Content quality, reliability, and audience participation analysis

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate the content quality, reliability, and audience participation analysis of YouTube videos as a source of information about COVID-19 for children.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This study was conducted in a descriptive design. The keywords "COVID-19, explain, children" were searched on the YouTube platform on March 17, 2021, and 294 videos were reviewed. The content of the selected videos was analyzed by 2 independent reviewers. Meet the inclusion criteria, 57 videos were evaluated according to the presenter source and the presented audience with the COVID-19 for Children Checklist (CCC), DISCERN score and the Global Quality Score (GQS).

RESULTS

When the contents of 57 videos included in the study were reviewed, it was determined that 56.1% (n = 32) were informative and 43.9% (n = 25) were misleading. Kappa value among the two independent observers was 0.89. 17.5% (n = 10) of the videos scored 5 points from DISCERN and 31.6% (n = 18) scored 4 points from GQS. The mean scores of GQS, DISCERN and CCC of videos with the grouped as informative were found to be statistically higher. There was a significant difference between the DISCERN mean score of ministry/academic/hospital/physician channel videos was higher than the mean score of entertainment/individual channel videos.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has shown that videos explaining COVID-19 to children have high viewing rates, but also videos that are low in terms of quality and reliability.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

It is thought that this study will reduce the rates of hospitalization by protecting children from COVID-19 by providing them access to healthier and more reliable sources.

The causes, impacts and countermeasures of COVID-19 "Infodemic": A systematic review using narrative synthesis

An unprecedented infodemic has been witnessed to create massive damage to human society. However, it was not thoroughly investigated. This systematic review aims to (1) synthesize the existing literature on the causes and impacts of COVID-19 infodemic; (2) summarize the proposed strategies to fight with COVID-19 infodemic; and (3) identify the directions for future research. A systematic literature search following the PRISMA guideline covering 12 scholarly databases was conducted to retrieve various types of peer-reviewed articles that reported causes, impacts, or countermeasures of the infodemic. Empirical studies were assessed for risk of bias using the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool. A coding theme was iteratively developed to categorize the causes, impacts, and countermeasures found from the included studies. Social media usage, low level of health/eHealth literacy, and fast publication process and preprint service are identified as the major causes of the infodemic. Besides, the vicious circle of human rumor-spreading behavior and the psychological issues from the public (e.g., anxiety, distress, fear) emerges as the characteristic of the infodemic. Comprehensive lists of countermeasures are summarized from different perspectives, among which risk communication and consumer health information need/seeking are of particular importance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed and future research directions are suggested.

More collaboration, less seriousness: Investigating new strategies for promoting youth engagement in government-generated videos during the COVID-19 pandemic in China

Effectively engaging citizens during crises is critical for governments to disseminate timely information and help the public to adjust to the constantly changing conditions. In particular, promoting youth engagement not only enhances crisis awareness and resilience among the young generation, but also has a positive impact on youths' social participation and responsibility. With the increasing popularity of online video services, leveraging online videos to disseminate authoritative information has become a method widely adopted by government. To enhance youth awareness and engagement, two new video-based crisis communication strategies have been utilized on a popular youth-targeted video platform Bilibili in China: creating recreational videos such as animation and music videos, and collaborating with individual video-uploaders in video making. However, their impacts and results are largely unknown, which motivates our study. Guided by Entertainment Education (EE) and Collaborative Governance (CG), we report, to our best knowledge, the first systematic study on how recreational video category and government-citizen collaboration would influence youth engagement focusing on 3347 COVID-19-related government-generated videos on Bilibili. This study reveals that recreational videos successfully promote youth engagement including interaction, feedback and sharing. Collaboration with individual uploaders in video making also has a substantially positive impact on youth engagement. Through an in-depth qualitative content analysis of user-generated commentaries, we further unpacked the unique values (e.g., trust work for youth participation) as well as latent limitations (e.g., imbalanced topic distribution) of the two new strategies. We discuss how the findings enrich EE and CG theoretically, and provide practical implications to effective and engaging communication strategies during crises.

Assessing the quality of COVID-19 vaccine videos on video-sharing platforms

Background

Video-sharing platforms are a common source for health information such as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines. It is important that they provide good quality, evidence-based information. However, to date, the quality of information surrounding COVID-19 vaccines on video-sharing platforms has not been established.

Objective

This study developed an assessment tool to evaluate the quality of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine videos on YouTube, Facebook Watch and TikTok.

Methods

Assessment of quality was based on understandability, actionability, accuracy, comprehensiveness and reliability. Videos were searched using the keywords “COVID-19 vaccine”, “Coronavirus vaccine” and “SARS-CoV-2 vaccine”. Seventy-two videos were evaluated. Descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon-rank sum tests were used for analysis.

Results

YouTube had the highest median composite score compared to TikTok (36.8% versus 27.5%, p = 0.001). YouTube also had the highest median reliability score (37.5%), but those of Facebook Watch (35.0%) and TikTok (35.0%) were only marginally lower. Median accuracy scores of all platforms were 100%, but their median comprehensiveness scores were low (YouTube 12.5%; Facebook Watch 6.3%; TikTok 6.3%, p = 0.004). Median actionability scores (0%) were the lowest for all platforms. TikTok had the highest median understandability score compared to YouTube and Facebook Watch (96.9% versus 80.0 each, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The overall quality of videos on all video-sharing platforms were low. All platforms provided accurate COVID-19 vaccine information, but TikTok videos were the most understandable. Most videos did not provide full details about COVID-19 vaccines, thus viewers would need to watch several videos before making a better-informed decision.

YouTube as a source of information on COVID-19 vaccination in rheumatic diseases

As the most well-known and popular video-sharing platform around the world, YouTube is an influential tool for the dissemination of health-related information. In addition, considering the increase in obtaining information from internet-based sources in pandemic conditions, YouTube has become more important in the presentation of information related to COVID-19. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate videos related to COVID-19 vaccination in rheumatic diseases (RD) on YouTube. In this descriptive study, 334 video URLs listed with six search terms were recorded (26 July 2021). Three quality groups (high, intermediate, and low) were created based on the Global Quality Scores (GQS). Video sources were identified and various video parameters were compared between the quality groups. Following the implementation of the exclusion criteria, 56 videos remained for further analysis; of which 37 (66.07%) were evaluated as high quality, 12 (21.42%) as intermediate quality, and 7 (12.51%) as low quality. No significant difference was determined between the quality groups in per day values of views, likes, dislikes, and comments. The sources of high-quality videos were pharmaceutical company (n = 1; 100%), pharmacist (n = 1; 100%), society-organization (n = 17; 85%), and academic (n = 3; 75%). Although two-thirds of the videos were high quality, it should be kept in mind that intermediate and low-quality videos are also available. Users should not assume the quality of the videos based on the number of views, likes, dislikes, and comments, but should focus more on video sources.

Health authorities' health risk communication with the public during pandemics: a rapid scoping review

BACKGROUND

Responses from the H1N1 swine flu pandemic and the recent COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic provide an opportunity for insight into the role of health authorities' ways of communicating health risk information to the public. We aimed to synthesise the existing evidence regarding different modes of communication used by health authorities in health risk communication with the public during a pandemic.

METHODS

We conducted a rapid scoping review. MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for publications in English from January 2009 through October 2020, covering both the full H1N1 pandemic and the response phase during the COVID-19 pandemic. The search resulted in 1440 records, of which 48 studies met our eligibility criteria.

RESULTS

The present review identified studies across a broad interdisciplinary field of health risk communication. The majority focused on the H1N1 pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. A content analysis of the studies identified three categories for modes of communication: i) communication channels, ii) source credibility and iii) how the message is communicated. The identified studies on social media focused mainly on content and engagement, while studies on the effect of the use of social media and self-protective behaviour were lacking. Studies on the modes of communication that take the diversity of receivers in the field into account are lacking. A limited number of studies of health authorities' use of graphic and audio-visual means were identified, yet these did not consider/evaluate creative communication choices.

CONCLUSION

Experimental studies that investigate the effect of health authorities' videos and messages on social media platforms and self-protective behaviour are needed. More studies are needed across the fields of health risk communication and media studies, including visual communication, web design, video and digital marketing, at a time when online digital communication is central to reaching the public.

The Reliability and Quality of YouTube Videos as a Source of Public Health Information Regarding COVID-19 Vaccination: Cross-sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Recent emergency authorization and rollout of COVID-19 vaccines by regulatory bodies has generated global attention. As the most popular video-sharing platform globally, YouTube is a potent medium for the dissemination of key public health information. Understanding the nature of available content regarding COVID-19 vaccination on this widely used platform is of substantial public health interest.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and quality of information on COVID-19 vaccination in YouTube videos.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, the phrases "coronavirus vaccine" and "COVID-19 vaccine" were searched on the UK version of YouTube on December 10, 2020. The 200 most viewed videos of each search were extracted and screened for relevance and English language. Video content and characteristics were extracted and independently rated against Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct and DISCERN quality criteria for consumer health information by 2 authors.

RESULTS

Forty-eight videos, with a combined total view count of 30,100,561, were included in the analysis. Topics addressed comprised the following: vaccine science (n=18, 58%), vaccine trials (n=28, 58%), side effects (n=23, 48%), efficacy (n=17, 35%), and manufacturing (n=8, 17%). Ten (21%) videos encouraged continued public health measures. Only 2 (4.2%) videos made nonfactual claims. The content of 47 (98%) videos was scored to have low (n=27, 56%) or moderate (n=20, 42%) adherence to Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct principles. Median overall DISCERN score per channel type ranged from 40.3 (IQR 34.8-47.0) to 64.3 (IQR 58.5-66.3). Educational channels produced by both medical and nonmedical professionals achieved significantly higher DISCERN scores than those of other categories. The highest median DISCERN scores were achieved by educational videos produced by medical professionals (64.3, IQR 58.5-66.3) and the lowest median scores by independent users (18, IQR 18-20).

CONCLUSIONS

The overall quality and reliability of information on COVID-19 vaccines on YouTube remains poor. Videos produced by educational channels, especially by medical professionals, were higher in quality and reliability than those produced by other sources, including health-related organizations. Collaboration between health-related organizations and established medical and educational YouTube content producers provides an opportunity for the dissemination of high-quality information on COVID-19 vaccination. Such collaboration holds potential as a rapidly implementable public health intervention aiming to engage a wide audience and increase public vaccination awareness and knowledge.

Educational quality of YouTube videos on musculoskeletal ultrasound

Introduction/objectives

A progressively growing number of rheumatologists have integrated musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) as a prized tool in their daily clinical practice over the past two decades. Lately, YouTube is often used by healthcare professionals as an educational tool. This study aimed to analyze the quality of educational information available on YouTube pertaining to MSUS.

Method

We performed a search using the keyword “musculoskeletal ultrasound” on YouTube in January 2021. Of the first 200 videos screened, 147 met the inclusion criteria. The quality and reliability of the videos were evaluated using the global quality score (GQS) and modified DISCERN score, and their popularity was assessed using the Video Power Index (VPI).

Results

Of the 147 videos evaluated, 58 (39.5%) were of high quality, 30 (20.4%) were of moderate quality, while 59 (40.1%) were of low quality. The modified DISCERN score and the duration of the videos were significantly higher in the high-quality videos than the moderate- and low-quality videos (p < 0.001 for all). The median number of views per day, likes, comments, and the popularity of the videos assessed with VPI were significantly higher in the high- and moderate-quality group compared to the low-quality videos (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.007, and p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

The quality of YouTube videos as an educational source on MSUS is unsatisfactory. Professional organizations and physicians should consider creating more high-quality MSUS videos. YouTube should consider filtering out poor-quality videos in collaboration with experts in the field.

Key Points • Although rheumatologists are increasingly using ultrasound as an extension of their exam, accessing musculoskeletal ultrasound training is still facing some challenges. • YouTube is commonly used as an educational source by medical students and healthcare professionals. • Approximately 60% of the videos related to musculoskeletal ultrasound on YouTube revealed high and moderate quality, while the remaining 40% were of low quality and not suitable for medical education. • A filtering mechanism is required to improve the quality of YouTube content on MSUS.

Content Analysis of Korean Videos Regarding Restless Legs Syndrome on YouTube

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the accuracy and quality of Korean videos associated with restless legs syndrome (RLS) on YouTube.

METHODS

A YouTube search was performed on April 1, 2020 using the term "restless legs syndrome" in the Korean language. Two reviewers coded the source, content, and demographics of the included videos. Video quality was assessed using the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) instrument.

RESULTS

Among the 80 videos analyzed, 44 (55.0%) were reliable, and 36 (45.0%) were misleading. There was a trend toward a higher number of mean daily views in the misleading videos than in the reliable videos. Most of the misleading videos (72.2%) advocated complementary and alternative medicine as a primary treatment for RLS. Although the reliable videos had higher mDISCERN scores than the misleading videos, the overall quality of the reliable videos was low.

CONCLUSION

Many Korean videos regarding RLS on YouTube involve a risk of exposure to misinformation and are of unsatisfactory quality.

YouTube Videos on Parkinson's Disease are a Relevant Source of Patient Information

BACKGROUND

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most frequent movement disorder. Patients access YouTube, one of the largest video databases in the world, to retrieve health-related information increasingly often.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to identify high-quality publishers, so-called "channels" that can be recommended to patients. We hypothesized that the number of views and the number of uploaded videos were indicators for the quality of the information given by a video on PD.

METHODS

YouTube was searched for 8 combinations of search terms that included "Parkinson" in German. For each term, the first 100 search results were analyzed for source, date of upload, number of views, numbers of likes and dislikes, and comments. The view ratio (views / day) and the likes ratio (likes * 100 / [likes + dislikes]) were determined to calculate the video popularity index (VPI). The global quality score (GQS) and title - content consistency index (TCCI) were assessed in a subset of videos.

RESULTS

Of 800 search results, 251 videos met the inclusion criteria. The number of views or the publisher category were not indicative of higher quality video content. The number of videos uploaded by a channel was the best indicator for the quality of video content.

CONCLUSION

The quality of YouTube videos relevant for PD patients is increased in channels with a high number of videos on the topic. We identified three German channels that can be recommended to PD patients who prefer video over written content.

YouTube as a source of information on gout: a quality analysis

YouTube is a popular video-sharing platform commonly visited by patients and healthcare professionals for medical information. Gout is the most frequent cause of inflammatory arthritis in adults. However, the accuracy and quality of gout-related information on YouTube are not fully known. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the reliability and quality of YouTube videos pertaining to gout. A YouTube search was conducted using the keywords "gout", "gout arthritis", "gout treatment", and "gout diet". Of the 240 videos screened, 114 that met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The number of days since upload, number of views, likes, dislikes, comments and duration of the videos were recorded. A Modified DISCERN tool and the Global Quality Scale (GQS) were used to evaluate the reliability and quality of the videos. Of the 114 analyzed videos, 87.72% were deemed as useful while 12.28% contained misleading information with higher viewership. The most common topic was "gout diet". The majority of the videos demonstrated high quality (57.89%), followed by intermediate quality (28.95%) while the percentage of low-quality videos was 13.16%. Videos posted by academic institutions/professional organizations and physicians had higher modified DISCERN and GQS scores indicating higher reliability and quality. This study demonstrated that the majority of YouTube videos on gout provide useful information. However, physicians should be aware of the limited nature of YouTube and correct any misinformation during face-to-face meetings. YouTube should consider avoiding misleading videos using validity scales such as modified DISCERN and GQS.

What social media told us in the time of COVID-19: a scoping review

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, social media has rapidly become a crucial communication tool for information generation, dissemination, and consumption. In this scoping review, we selected and examined peer-reviewed empirical studies relating to COVID-19 and social media during the first outbreak from November, 2019, to November, 2020. From an analysis of 81 studies, we identified five overarching public health themes concerning the role of online social media platforms and COVID-19. These themes focused on: surveying public attitudes, identifying infodemics, assessing mental health, detecting or predicting COVID-19 cases, analysing government responses to the pandemic, and evaluating quality of health information in prevention education videos. Furthermore, our Review emphasises the paucity of studies on the application of machine learning on data from COVID-19-related social media and a scarcity of studies documenting real-time surveillance that was developed with data from social media on COVID-19. For COVID-19, social media can have a crucial role in disseminating health information and tackling infodemics and misinformation.

Characterizing the COVID-19 Infodemic on Chinese Social Media: Exploratory Study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 infodemic has been disseminating rapidly on social media and posing a significant threat to people's health and governance systems.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate and analyze posts related to COVID-19 misinformation on major Chinese social media platforms in order to characterize the COVID-19 infodemic.

METHODS

We collected posts related to COVID-19 misinformation published on major Chinese social media platforms from January 20 to May 28, 2020, by using PythonToolkit. We used content analysis to identify the quantity and source of prevalent posts and topic modeling to cluster themes related to the COVID-19 infodemic. Furthermore, we explored the quantity, sources, and theme characteristics of the COVID-19 infodemic over time.

RESULTS

The daily number of social media posts related to the COVID-19 infodemic was positively correlated with the daily number of newly confirmed (r=0.672, P<.01) and newly suspected (r=0.497, P<.01) COVID-19 cases. The COVID-19 infodemic showed a characteristic of gradual progress, which can be divided into 5 stages: incubation, outbreak, stalemate, control, and recovery. The sources of the COVID-19 infodemic can be divided into 5 types: chat platforms (1100/2745, 40.07%), video-sharing platforms (642/2745, 23.39%), news-sharing platforms (607/2745, 22.11%), health care platforms (239/2745, 8.71%), and Q&A platforms (157/2745, 5.72%), which slightly differed at each stage. The themes related to the COVID-19 infodemic were clustered into 8 categories: "conspiracy theories" (648/2745, 23.61%), "government response" (544/2745, 19.82%), "prevention action" (411/2745, 14.97%), "new cases" (365/2745, 13.30%), "transmission routes" (244/2745, 8.89%), "origin and nomenclature" (228/2745, 8.30%), "vaccines and medicines" (154/2745, 5.61%), and "symptoms and detection" (151/2745, 5.50%), which were prominently diverse at different stages. Additionally, the COVID-19 infodemic showed the characteristic of repeated fluctuations.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study found that the COVID-19 infodemic on Chinese social media was characterized by gradual progress, videoization, and repeated fluctuations. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the COVID-19 infodemic is paralleled to the propagation of the COVID-19 epidemic. We have tracked the COVID-19 infodemic across Chinese social media, providing critical new insights into the characteristics of the infodemic and pointing out opportunities for preventing and controlling the COVID-19 infodemic.

Social Network Analysis of COVID-19 Public Discourse on Twitter: Implications for Risk Communication

Objectives:

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the use of social network analysis to understand public discourse on Twitter around the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We examined different network properties that might affect the successful dissemination by and adoption of public health messages from public health officials and health agencies.

Methods:

We focused on conversations on Twitter during 3 key communication events from late January to early June of 2020. We used Netlytic, a Web-based software that collects publicly available data from social media sites such as Twitter.

Results:

We found that the network of conversations around COVID-19 is highly decentralized, fragmented, and loosely connected; these characteristics can hinder the successful dissemination of public health messages in a network. Competing conversations and misinformation can hamper risk communication efforts in a way that imperil public health.

Conclusions:

Looking at basic metrics might create a misleading picture of the effectiveness of risk communication efforts on social media if not analyzed within the context of the larger network. Social network analysis of conversations on social media should be an integral part of how public health officials and agencies plan, monitor, and evaluate risk communication efforts.