Evaluation of the Reliability and Quality of YouTube Videos on Ovarian Cysts

Laparoscopic myomectomy videos on WebSurg and YouTube: does peer review process make a difference?

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the quality of laparoscopic myomectomy videos on YouTube and WebSurg.

Material and Methods

We searched using the keyword "laparoscopic myomectomy" on WebSurg and selected surgical interventions in the gynecology section. Eleven videos on WebSurg were enrolled. We selected the 22 most-relevant videos on YouTube to create a comparison group, with a ratio of 1:2. Sound in videos, number of subscribers, views, likes, and comments, number of days since videos were uploaded and durations of videos were recorded. View/day, like/view, like/subscriber, and view/subscriber ratios were calculated. The videos were evaluated with usefulness score (US), global quality scoring (GQS), modified discern score (mDS) and laparoscopic surgery video educational guidelines (LAP-VEGaS).

Results

The view/day ratio was lower in WebSurg compared to YouTube [1.3 (1.9) vs. 7.5 (30.6), respectively; p=0.039]. No difference was found between WebSurg and YouTube in terms of US, GQS and mDS. On LAP-VEGaS assessment, WebSurg was found to be superior to YouTube in terms of intraoperative findings [2 (1-2) vs. 1 (0-2), p=0.001], additional materials [1 (0-2) vs. 1 (0-1), p=0.041], audio/written commentary [2 (2-2) vs. 2 (0-2), p=0.037], image quality [2 (2-2) vs. 2 (0-2), p=0.023], questions and total score [12 (11-13) vs. 10.5 (4-13), p=0.006]. The proportion of high-quality video was higher in WebSurg compared to YouTube, when the cut-off value of total score of 11 or 12 was used as 10 (100%) vs. 10 (50%), p=0.011 and 9 (90%) vs. 5 (25%), p=0.001, respectively.

Conclusion

WebSurg was better compared to YouTube in terms of quality of laparoscopic myomectomy videos.

Appraising Unmet Needs and Misinformation Spread About Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in 85,872 YouTube Comments Over 12 Years: Big Data Infodemiology Study

BACKGROUND

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy in women, resulting in substantial burden related to metabolic, reproductive, and psychological complications. While attempts have been made to understand the themes and sentiments of the public regarding PCOS at the local and regional levels, no study has explored worldwide views, mainly due to financial and logistical limitations. YouTube is one of the largest sources of health-related information, where many visitors share their views as questions or comments. These can be used as a surrogate to understand the public's perceptions.

OBJECTIVE

We analyzed the comments of all videos related to PCOS published on YouTube from May 2011 to April 2023 and identified trends over time in the comments, their context, associated themes, gender-based differences, and underlying sentiments.

METHODS

After extracting all the comments using the YouTube application programming interface, we contextually studied the keywords and analyzed gender differences using the Benjamini-Hochberg procedure. We applied a multidimensional approach to analyzing the content via association mining using Mozdeh. We performed network analysis to study associated themes using the Fruchterman-Reingold algorithm and then manually screened the comments for content analysis. The sentiments associated with YouTube comments were analyzed using SentiStrength.

RESULTS

A total of 85,872 comments from 940 PCOS videos on YouTube were extracted. We identified a specific gender for 13,106 comments. Of these, 1506 were matched to male users (11.5%), and 11,601 comments to female users (88.5%). Keywords including diagnosing PCOS, symptoms of PCOS, pills for PCOS (medication), and pregnancy were significantly associated with female users. Keywords such as herbal treatment, natural treatment, curing PCOS, and online searches were significantly associated with male users. The key themes associated with female users were symptoms of PCOS, positive personal experiences (themes such as helpful and love), negative personal experiences (fatigue and pain), motherhood (infertility and trying to conceive), self-diagnosis, and use of professional terminology detailing their journey. The key themes associated with male users were misinformation regarding the "cure" for PCOS, using natural and herbal remedies to cure PCOS, fake testimonies from spammers selling their courses and consultations, finding treatment for PCOS, and sharing perspectives of female family members. The overall average positive sentiment was 1.6651 (95% CI 1.6593-1.6709), and the average negative sentiment was 1.4742 (95% CI 1.4683-1.4802) with a net positive difference of 0.1909.

CONCLUSIONS

There may be a disparity in views on PCOS between women and men, with the latter associated with non-evidence-based approaches and misinformation. The improving sentiment noticed with YouTube comments may reflect better health care services. Prioritizing and promoting evidence-based care and disseminating pragmatic online coverage is warranted to improve public sentiment and limit misinformation spread.

Epilepsy Videos on YouTube: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study

INTRODUCTION

Epilepsy is defined as a disorder of the brain characterized by an enduring predisposition to epileptic seizures. Being the most common neurological condition in the world, information regarding epilepsy is gathered by people from different available sources.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability and quality of YouTube videos about epilepsy as a source of information for the general population and also for patients suffering from this illness and for their families.

METHODOLOGY

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted, utilizing a questionnaire prepared on Google Forms (Google LLC, Mountain View, California, United States) with predetermined criteria. Each of the six authors independently searched and evaluated 10 YouTube videos using specific keywords. The assessment included determining the global quality score and utilizing the DISCERN tool. The collected data was recorded in Microsoft Excel and subsequently analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 60 videos were analyzed, revealing that 76.27% of them provided information on the available treatment options for epilepsy, 71.19% explained the cause and etiology of the condition, and only 3.39% of the videos mentioned support groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights the importance of assessment of medical information on social media platforms in order to ensure availability of correct information with high quality and reliability for epilepsy patients. This will help in understanding their medical health issues and decision making.

Quality and Content Analysis: Can YouTube Videos on Agoraphobia Be Considered a Reliable Source?

BACKGROUND

YouTube, known as an online video platform, is one of the most popular and dynamic video platforms in the world. it provides access to videos with a variety of content, both in health and many other areas. The fact that it is accessible to everyone and free of charge makes it frequently preferred by individuals. The effectiveness of social media platforms on the thoughts and behaviors of individuals has caused YouTube and other similar platforms to be the subject of health research in recent years. Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by an intense fear of feeling trapped somewhere. Agoraphobia is a common type of anxiety disorder in society, and cognitive behavioral and psychopharmacological agents are used in its treatment. Our aim in this research is to examine YouTubeTM videos on agoraphobia in terms of reliability and quality.

METHODS

The first 50 videos related to agoraphobia were included in the analysis, and the duration (minutes), video content, institutions/individuals who uploaded the video, the time elapsed since uploading, total views, and likes were recorded. In addition, all videos were evaluated on two different scales: Quality Criteria for Consumer Health Information (DISCERN) and the Global Quality Scale (GQS). The obtained data were analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

The mean video duration was 11.4±9.38 minutes, the mean views count was 113299.5±333091, and the mean like count was 8512.76±31429.37. Videos were evaluated in terms of content; 50% included general information, 28% agoraphobia experience, and 22% information about overcoming agoraphobia. The GQS and DISCERN scores were significantly higher in professional videos than in non-professionals (p<0.005).

CONCLUSION

As a result of the evaluation of YouTubeTM videos about agoraphobia in terms of quality and content, it has been determined that it is necessary to increase the rate of videos prepared by mental health professionals. Psychiatrists and other healthcare professionals working in the field of anxiety should be encouraged to provide videos with scientific and reliable content.

Quality and Reliability Analysis of YouTube Videos Related to Neonatal Sepsis

Aim Neonatal sepsis is a clinical syndrome of illness accompanied by bacteremia that develops in the first month of life. The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability and quality of YouTube^TM (www.youtube.com) videos pertaining neonatal sepsis. Methods The first 100 videos on YouTube^TM pertaining to neonatal sepsis were included in the analysis. Features like videos' image type, content and qualification of video creators were recorded. In addition, videos' length, upload date, time since upload, comment and like counts were also recorded. Quality of the videos was measured by the researchers using the Global Quality Scale (GQS) and reliability of the videos was evaluated through the DISCERN (Quality Criteria for Consumer Health Information on Treatment Choices) tool. Results The total length of the examined 100 videos was 35.84 hours and the total view count was 1,173,247. The most common video content was general information about neonatal sepsis, education and diagnosis. When qualification of the video creators was examined, the most common creators were physicians followed by other persons and health channels. The videos were divided into two groups according to the creators. Accordingly, 40 (40%) videos were uploaded by professionals and 60 by non-professionals. There was a statistically significant difference between physicians and non-physicians in terms of the mean DISCERN and GQS scores (both, p<0.01). Conclusion Both DISCERN and GQS scores were statistically significantly higher in the videos provided by physicians. Physicians should be encouraged to upload accurate informative videos about neonatal sepsis and direct parents to accurate sources of treatment.

Quality and Reliability Analysis of YouTube Videos on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Claustrophobia

Aim Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-induced anxiety is not infrequent with a reported incidence as high as 37% and the rate of failed MRI imaging due to claustrophobia ranges between 0.5% and 14.5%. The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality and reliability of YouTube^TM videos on MRI claustrophobia. Methods Sixty-five videos were included in the final analysis. Video information analyzed included video length (minutes), video content, qualification of the video uploaders, time of upload, time since upload, the number of total views and the mean daily views, and like counts. We divided the videos according to the uploaders into professional and non-professional groups and further grouped the videos as useful and misleading. Data obtained from the videos were evaluated with three tools including subjective evaluation, Quality Criteria for Consumer Health Information (DISCERN), and Global Quality Scale (GQS) tools. Results The mean video duration was found as 4.14±4.45 minutes. The mean view count was 104.59±408,788.68 and the mean like count was found as 272.55±1096.25. Seventeen (26.15%) videos were uploaded by professionals and 48 (73.85%) by non-professionals. Twenty-eight (43.08%) of the videos were useful and 37 (56.92%) were useless. The mean DISCERN and GQS scores were statistically significantly higher in the professional videos compared to the non-professional videos and in useful videos compared to non-useful videos (for all, p<0.001). Conclusion A majority of the YouTube^TM videos concerning MRI claustrophobia were uploaded by non-professionals. Physicians and other healthcare personnel should be encouraged to provide useful and accurate videos and to direct patients appropriately.

The Evaluation of YouTube™ Videos Pertaining to Intraoperative Anaesthesia Awareness: A Reliability and Quality Analysis

Aim The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability and quality of YouTube™ (Google, Inc., Mountain View, CA) videos pertaining to anaesthesia awareness. Methods We evaluated the most commonly viewed 100 videos pertaining to anaesthesia awareness. The YouTube™ videos' image type, qualification of the uploaders, video content, video length in minutes, upload time, time since upload, total view count, daily view count and comment and like counts were recorded. The quality of the YouTube™ videos was evaluated using the Global Quality Scale (GQS), and the reliability was determined using the modified DISCERN scale. Results Of all videos, 34 (34%) were uploaded directly by physicians, 16 (16%) by patients, 14 (14%) by health channels, 13 (13%) by TV shows and 23 (23%) by others. The mean video length was 11.48±11.96 minutes. The average DISCERN score was 4.47±0.58 in the professional and 3.28±0.65 in the non-professional video group (p<0.001). The mean GQS score was 4.47±0.52 in the professional and 3.35±0.67 in the non-professional video group (p<0.001). Conclusion The results of this study indicate that a significant portion of the YouTube™ videos pertaining to anaesthesia awareness were uploaded directly by physicians or by health channels. Physicians and professional health institutions should be promoted to provide accurate and more reliable videos to direct patients to the right solutions for their problems. YouTube™ videos should be subjected to supervision before they can be publicly viewed.

Reliability and Educational Value of YouTube Videos of Complete Meso-Colic Excision With Right Hemicolectomy in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Aim: To investigate the reliability and educational value of YouTube videos of minimally invasive complete mesocolic excision with right hemicolectomy procedures.

Materials and methods: We searched YouTube with the terms “Laparoscopic and Robotic Complete Mesocolic Excision with Right Hemicolectomy” on January 12, 2021. To assess the reliability of the videos, we evaluated nine steps in each video and scored the videos based on the key steps they contained. The videos were divided into three groups according to the source of the upload. The total number of views, length, time since upload, and the number of likes, dislikes, and comments were recorded for each video. Narration, the use of descriptive subtitles, and the upload status by an expert surgeon were also examined.

Results: Sixty-eight videos were included in the study. A positive significant correlation was identified between the comprehensiveness score (CS) and the number of views (p=0.025). The CSs of the videos accessed from academic channels, as well as those accessed from journals, congress, and association channels, recorded higher CSs than those obtained from the personal channels of consultants (p=0.003). It was also found that CSs were higher in the videos of expert surgeons (p<0.001) and narrated videos (p<0.001).

Conclusion: Not all YouTube videos on this subject have reliability and educational value. Surgical videos on YouTube may be evaluated by a video review commission formed by academic institutions, surgical associations, or expert surgeons, and videos suitable for education could be brought together and published via a free channel.