ArticleLiterature Review

YouTube and Men's Health: A Review of the Current Literature

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Abstract

Introduction YouTube is the most used social media website, and there is a growing body of literature examining the reliability of healthcare information on this platform. Patients seeking men’s health information may be more likely to use YouTube owing to the sensitivity of these issues. Objectives The objective of this study is to review the literature for studies related to the reliability of YouTube videos about men’s health topics. Methods A literature review was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar for publications related to the reliability of YouTube videos about men’s health as of July 1, 2020. Results There were 17 studies related to YouTube and Men’s Health. Most videos were found to be unreliable, and videos uploaded by physicians or healthcare organizations were usually more reliable. However, there were no studies in which more reliable videos had higher metrics of user engagement (views, likes, comments) than unreliable videos and there were several studies where unreliable videos had higher metrics of user engagement. In addition, the methods used to evaluate YouTube videos are not uniform across studies including the way that terms are searched (filtering by relevance vs view count) and the way in which reliability is assessed. For example, some studies create custom evaluation forms based on clinical guidelines, whereas others use validated questionnaires. The only validated questionnaire used across multiple studies was the DISCERN score criterion. Conclusions Most information on YouTube about men’s health is unreliable. Videos created by physicians and healthcare organizations are more reliable, and videos that are advertisements are less reliable. Physicians and healthcare systems should continue to upload educational YouTube videos but work to increase their views and user engagement. It may benefit patients if physician organizations could work with YouTube to create verified videos disseminating healthcare information that are favored in the search algorithm. Warren CJ, Sawhney R, Shah T, et al. YouTube and Men's Health: A Review of the Current Literature. Sex Med Rev 2020;XX:XXX–XXX.

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... To date, several studies have been conducted on the content of health information available on YouTube. These studies have been summarized in different review articles [28,[35][36][37][38]. These articles have reported that, in general, videos do not comprehensively cover various health topics and that the content quality of videos varies widely, with many studies reporting a high prevalence of poor-quality videos or nonuseful videos and a low prevalence of good-quality videos. ...
... These articles have reported that, in general, videos do not comprehensively cover various health topics and that the content quality of videos varies widely, with many studies reporting a high prevalence of poor-quality videos or nonuseful videos and a low prevalence of good-quality videos. However, some high-quality videos are available in some topic areas [37,38]. In addition, many studies have found either no relationship between video quality and engagement (eg, views and likes) or a negative relationship (ie, as quality decreases, engagement increases) [38]. ...
... In addition, many studies have found either no relationship between video quality and engagement (eg, views and likes) or a negative relationship (ie, as quality decreases, engagement increases) [38]. These articles have also found that videos tend to be of higher quality when they feature health professionals (eg, physicians) or health organizations [37]. Although numerous studies have assessed the content of various types of health-related YouTube videos, to our knowledge, no studies have examined the content of YouTube videos related to nutrition and dental caries. ...
Article
Background: Dental caries is the most common health condition worldwide, and nutrition and dental caries have a strong interconnected relationship. Foods and eating behaviors can be both harmful (eg, sugar) and healthful (eg, meal spacing) for dental caries. YouTube is a popular source for the public to access information. To date, there is no information available on the nutrition and dental caries content of easily accessible YouTube videos. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the content of YouTube videos on nutrition and dental caries. Methods: In total, 6 YouTube searches were conducted using keywords related to nutrition and dental caries. The first 20 videos were selected from each search. Video content was scored (17 possible points; higher scores were associated with more topics covered) by 2 individuals based on the inclusion of information regarding various foods and eating behaviors that impact dental caries risk. For each video, information on video characteristics (ie, view count, length, number of likes, number of dislikes, and video age) was captured. Videos were divided into 2 groups by view rate (views/day); differences in scores and types of nutrition messages between groups were determined using nonparametric statistics. Results: In total, 42 videos were included. Most videos were posted by or featured oral health professionals (24/42, 57%). The mean score was 4.9 (SD 3.4) out of 17 points. Videos with >30 views/day (high view rate; 20/42, 48% videos) had a trend toward a lower score (mean 4.0, SD 3.7) than videos with ≤30 views/day (low view rate; 22/42, 52%; mean 5.8, SD 3.0; P=.06), but this result was not statistically significant. Sugar was the most consistently mentioned topic in the videos (31/42, 74%). No other topics were mentioned in more than 50% of videos. Low-view rate videos were more likely to mention messaging on acidic foods and beverages (P=.04), water (P=.09), and frequency of sugar intake (P=.047) than high-view rate videos. Conclusions: Overall, the analyzed videos had low scores for nutritional and dental caries content. This study provides insights into the messaging available on nutrition and dental caries for the public and guidance on how to make improvements in this area.
... 7 Embarrassment may lead male patients to seek Information about men's issues on the Internet which will delay visiting the healthcare provider. 8 ED is a global issue, with 150 million patients in the mid-1980s and 320 million by 2025. 9 More than a third of the population in the Arab region is complaining of ED. 10 A study conducted in Qatar showed that more than half of the population suffers from ED. 11 Among diabetic patients in Saudi Arabia, ED was prevalent in 86.7% of diabetes mellitus type 2 with low testosterone levels of 8-12 nmol/L. ...
... 20 From our study, only 16% of YouTube videos in Arabic were SEB related to ED information, and 84% were considered NSEB (p <0.001) ( Table 2) ( Figure 3). This fact is corroborated by other research that reported men's health information on YouTube; 8,14 however, some studies reported valuable information other than men's health issues related to urinary and reproductive health. A contemporary analysis reported that YouTube may not be a reliable source of information on the digital rectal exam (DRE) for patients, leading to unsatisfactory quality of YouTube videos on DRE 21 Another contemporary analysis showed bladder pain syndrome (BPS) content on YouTube may be a reliable source of information. ...
... Recent literature reviews on YTVs and men's health were unreliable. 8 On English YouTube, the ED information content with a median number of views in the SEB group was25152 (56-2255 498), and93602in the NSEB group (767-17,998 691), P = 0.017. 14 Our study's median number of viewers likes, and comments were 2,021,104, 20,000, and 750, respectively. ...
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Background Online medical education is critical for public health literacy and physician efficacy, but it must be trustworthy. Although it has the potential to be a useful resource for medical education, users must be able to identify reliable content. Objective To assess the scientific quality of Arabic-language video content related to erectile dysfunction that is available on YouTube to learn what information our patients can handle online. Materials and Methods A comprehensive search of the YouTube database was carried out to identify videos related to erectile dysfunction published in Arabic. The search was conducted using the following keywords: “Erectile dysfunction”, “Sexual dysfunction” and “Impotence”. Without a time, limit, the search was carried out until January 1, 2023. The quality assessment of the videos was done using the Kappa score. Results The videos in our sample had up to one million views (average 2,627,485.6), and the kappa index was 0.86 (p <0.001). Of these videos, 16% were considered scientific evidence-based (SEB), and 84% were considered not scientific evidence-based (NSEB) (p <0.001). The NSEB group addressed details concerning natural remedies, the Psychosocial sphere, and lifestyle, whereas the SEB group tended to be more concerned with physiopathology, etiology, endothelial dysfunction, diagnosis, psychosocial treatment, oral treatment, injections, or prosthesis. Conclusion On social media, misleading or incorrect information about erectile dysfunction is widely disseminated. This research may support urological and technical oversight and emphasizes guiding patients to the best men’s health options.
... To assess the quality and reliability of the videos, the modified DISCERN scoring and the Global Quality Scale (GQS) were used. Since both measures are similar in their assessment of quality, the consistency between the two measures is used together in the literature as an indication that the measures are more reliable (Barlas et al., 2023;Semerci et al., 2024;Warren et al., 2021). ...
... The evaluation is based on the flow of the video, the depth of information, the usefulness to patients, and the clarity of the presented material. Videos are rated on a scale from 1 to 5, and higher scores indicate better quality (Warren et al., 2021). The videos' average scores were calculated for assessment. ...
... Nevertheless, while YouTube videos are often unreliable, those created by healthcare professionals tend to be more accurate. A study on men's health topics on YouTube found that videos uploaded by physicians or healthcare organizations were usually more reliable [36]. However, these more reliable videos often had lower user engagement metrics compared to less reliable content, once again suggesting a disconnect between quality and popularity. ...
Article
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The objective of this research was to assess the accuracy, quality, content, and demographics of videos on YouTube concerning deep margin elevation (DME). Initially, 100 videos for each of the three keywords were analyzed. The content categories of these videos were diverse, encompassing educational materials, teaching techniques, advertisements, and other types of content. The evaluation of the videos was carried out based on the Global Quality Scale (GQS), the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark, and the modified-DISCERN questionnaire (m-DISCERN). Non-distributed data were analyzed using the Kruskal Wallis test and the Spearman correlation coefficient. The JAMA score was 1 for four videos, 2–3 for 38, and 4 for 14 videos; the GQS score was 1–2 for 18 videos, 3 for 11 videos, and 4–5 for 27 videos; and the m-DISCERN score was < 3 for 39 videos, 3 for four videos, and > 3 for 13 (for a total of 56 videos). Statistically significant differences were observed only for the JAMA scores when comparing the video source groups (p = 0.001). There were significant positive correlations between the GQS and m-DISCERN and m-DISCERN and JAMA scores (p < 0.001 and p = 0.049, respectively). The findings indicated that YouTube videos related to DME generally exhibited high-quality content but only moderate accuracy and poor reliability.
... Our analyses revealed that these videos demonstrate average quality as determined by the DISCERN scale criterion. This result indicates that PAE videos have higher average quality than videos on uterine fibroid embolization, meningiomas, men's health, and patellofemoral instability, to reference other studies of a similar type [8, [14][15][16]. No correlation was found between quality and popularity or engagement, but there was a positive correlation between popularity and engagement. ...
Article
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Purpose To evaluate the quality of YouTube videos on patient education concerning prostatic artery embolization (PAE). Methods All PAE videos on YouTube were evaluated in December 2023. The quality of the videos was evaluated utilizing the DISCERN Scale Criterion. The popularity and engagement of each video was assessed using the Video Power Index (VPI) and Viewer Impact Score (VIS), respectively. Comparisons of these metrics were conducted and stratified by the video source type including academic institution, interventional radiologist, and patient testimony. Data describing discussion of risks, benefits, and indications were further collected. Results Of the 43 videos, video characteristics included duration (mean = 4.6 min), views (mean = 16,885), and likes (mean = 139). The mean DISCERN, VPI, and VIS scores were 47.9, 15.0, and 36.9, respectively. There was no correlation between quality, and popularity (R² = 0.09) or engagement (R² = 0.01). Videos featuring board-certified physicians did not significantly improved DISCERN scores (p = 0.13), VPI (p = 0.15), or VIS (p = 0.39) scores when compared to those without. Content by interventional radiologists demonstrated higher popularity compared to videos featuring other specialties (p = 0.04), but there was no difference in quality (p = 0.18). Conclusion Educational videos about PAE on YouTube are of average quality. Clinicians should be aware of the general state of online information concerning PAE and guide patients towards high quality resources.
... As for video characteristics, YouTube, established nearly 20 years ago 22 , has had more time to accumulate audience interaction data compared to Bilibili, which is only 14 years old 9 . YouTube's global reach and multilingual support contribute to its over 2 billion monthly active users 22,23 , which may explain why YouTube videos garnered more views and likes in our research. However, the lack of signi cant differences in average likes per 30 days and comments suggests that Bilibili focuses more on enhancing user experience and encouraging feedback to creators 24,25 . ...
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This study aims to assess the informational quality of oral cancer-related videos on YouTube and Bilibili. A total of 300 oral cancer-related videos meeting the inclusion criteria were selected from YouTube (150 videos from 111 uploaders) and Bilibili (150 videos from 134 uploaders) for evaluation and analysis. YouTube videos were more popular in terms of views and likes, whereas the average likes per 30 days and comments showed no significant difference between the two platforms. The uploaders from YouTube mainly consisted of hospitals/non-profit organizations (66.7%) and companies with profit (17.1%), while Bilibili's uploaders mainly were self-media (55.2%) and doctors (29.1%). YouTube videos covered more topics than those on Bilibili. Solo narration was the most common video style across all platforms, but TV shows/documentaries were more popular on YouTube (31.3%). The video quality was assessed using the four tools as follows: Though mDISCERN (modified DISCERN) and PEMAT-Actionability (Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool) were similar across platforms, YouTube videos scored higher on PEMAT-Understandability, VIQI (Video Information and Quality Index), and GQS (Global Quality Score) than Bilibili videos. Videos from health professionals were deemed more reliable. Spearman correlation analysis revealed no strong relationships between the video quality and the audience interaction. In conclusion, YouTube videos demonstrated higher audience interactions and quality but both platforms still require improvements. More professional content creators and platform algorithm optimization are necessary to promote high-quality health information.
... All the tools have been used in many research studies. [14][15][16] All tools used are provided in Appendix 1. Two independent expert dermatologists rated the videos, ensuring a comprehensive and professional assessment. ...
Article
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Background Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including syphilis, pose a significant public health challenge. The advent of social media platforms has revolutionized health information dissemination, with YouTube and TikTok emerging as prominent sources. However, concerns persist regarding the reliability of syphilis-related content on these platforms. This study aimed to evaluate the quality and accuracy of syphilis-related content on TikTok and YouTube, employing established tools such as DISCERN, Accuracy in Digital-health Instrument (ANDI), and Global Quality Scale (GQS). Methodology We conducted a thorough search on TikTok and YouTube on November 26, 2023, using the keyword "syphilis." Inclusion criteria comprised videos in English, less than 20 minutes in duration, and relevance to syphilis. Two dermatologists independently rated 98 eligible videos using DISCERN, ANDI, and GQS. Statistical analyses included Chi-square tests, mean comparisons, and interclass correlation. Results TikTok videos exhibited higher mean views (222,519 ± 412,746) compared to YouTube (127,527 ± 223,622). However, TikTok videos had lower mean GQS (2.3 ± 0.9), ANDI (2.19 ± 0.99), and DISCERN (28.7 ± 6.56) scores compared to YouTube (GQS: 2.9 ± 1.1, ANDI: 2.90 ± 0.97, DISCERN: 38.8 ± 9). Non-professional uploaders were 40.8% on TikTok, while YouTube were (53.1%). Conclusion This study reveals disparities in the quality and accuracy of syphilis-related content on TikTok and YouTube. Despite higher popularity on TikTok, content quality, as assessed by DISCERN, ANDI, and GQS, was generally lower compared to YouTube. Targeted interventions are needed to improve the reliability of syphilis-related information on social media platforms.
... Each score on the GQS corresponds to a particular level of quality, with a numerical value ranging from 1 to 5 (Appendix 3). According to Warren et al. (2021), the scoring system ranges from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating poor quality, 2 representing overall poor quality, 3 representing moderate quality, 4 representing good quality, and 5 representing excellent quality. For the GQS, almost perfect inter-rater agreement was observed, with a Kappa coefficient (κ = 0.842) and a 95 % confidence interval (0.775, 0.909) being obtained. ...
... Then, we determined the type of information provided by the video, looking for descriptions of etiology, investigations, prevention, treatments, rehabilitation, mortality, support groups, patient experience, and whether or not companies or doctors presented any promotional content. Third, we assessed the quality and reliability of the content they shared using the Global Quality Score (GQS) and the DISCERN tool, respectively [10,11]. ...
Article
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Palpitations refer to the sensation of rapid, fluttering, or pounding heartbeats in the chest, the determinants of which may range from hormonal changes to anxiety or arrhythmias. YouTube is one of the most prevailing and accepted web-based platforms people trust to help them understand more about their health conditions. Thus, this study aims to assess whether the quality of content about palpitations on this platform is reliable and sufficient. Seventy-one YouTube videos were analyzed using criteria such as date and time of upload, type of uploader, and type of content. The Global Quality Score (GQS) and modified DISCERN score were used to analyze the quality and reliability of the information provided. Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA, US) was used for data analysis, and StataCorp’s 2023 Stata Statistical Software (College Station, TX, US) was used for statistical analysis and visualization. Of the 71 videos analyzed, 90.14% were uploaded more than a year ago, 80.28% described the symptomatology in detail, and 81.69% accurately described the etiological factors. Hospitals and doctors were the most common uploaders, constituting 23% and 19% of the uploaded videos, respectively, and had high GQSs (Median GQS = 4). The highest scores also belonged to videos uploaded by patients suffering from the disease (Median GQS = 5). Hospitals and news channels ranked highest on the reliability score (Median DISCERN = 4, respectively). It was determined that despite varied sources, the nature of content provided by the platform contains promotional material and content gaps; YouTube should, therefore, be used critically and as per professional sources.
... These scales were commonly used in the literature to assess the videos' reliability and quality. [18][19][20] Because the two scoring systems are similar and evaluate quality, consistency between the evaluations can be more reliable. ...
Article
Purpose This study undertook a systematic examination of YouTube videos about chemotherapy for pediatric patients, with a primary focus on assessing the videos' quality, content, and reliability. Method The research was conducted by searching YouTube using the keywords “chemotherapy for children” and “chemotherapy for pediatric,” employing filters for “worldwide” and “all categories.” The top 100 videos, based on popularity, were selected for evaluation according to the power analysis calculation. Two independent experts in pediatric oncology reviewed these videos. Video characteristics were recorded: length, view count, likes, dislikes, view ratio, and video‐like ratio. The Video Power Index was calculated to measure video popularity. The modified DISCERN and Global Quality Scale (GQS) assessed the videos for quality and reliability. Results The 100 videos were analyzed. Official health institutions uploaded 54%, while independent users contributed 46%. Independent user uploads garnered significantly more views than official health institutions ( p = .006). The number of likes, view ratio, and Video Power Index of independent users’ videos were significantly higher than official health institutions’ videos (respectively, p = .007, .007, and .008). On the other hand, the modified DISCERN score and GQS were significantly higher in YouTube videos of official health institutions than in independent users ( p < .001). A strong correlation was observed between the modified DISCERN score and GQS ( r = .879, p < .001). Conclusion This study provides valuable insights into the YouTube videos on pediatric chemotherapy, emphasizing the need to improve the quality and reliability of online health information for this vulnerable population.
... Social media has the advantage of providing advice and guidance by connecting users with similar health problems or demands around the world. YouTube, which is the second most preferred among the social media platforms, is an easily accessible and central content source, is highly preferred in individual searches in the field of health due to its video content and narration [15,16]. Information obtained from sources on social media opens doors for users to access accurate or inaccurate health information [17]. ...
Article
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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.
... Recently, many studies have been carried out on the content of videos on YouTube as a resource for medical data. [24][25][26][27][28] However, studies on cancer are relatively few. [10,11,13,29] To the best of our knowledge, this is the first research to assess the quality and reliability of chemotherapy videos on YouTube, a well-known, free and unlimited video sharing site. ...
Article
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No studies have evaluated the interaction, quality, and reliability of chemotherapy-related videos published on YouTube. The aim was to evaluate the content of YouTube videos about chemotherapy using 5 different scoring tools. In this cross-sectional register-based study, popular videos on YouTube about the following keywords were examined; “chemotherapy,” “what is chemotherapy,” “types of chemotherapy,” “chemotherapy side effects” and “chemotherapy treatments.” Quality and reliability of video content were measured using the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the Global Quality Score (GQS), the Video Information Quality Index (VIQI), and Health on the Net code (HONcode) scores. A total of 108 videos were analyzed in the study. The median duration was 200 (30-2020) seconds and the median total number of views was 17500 (61-8615000). Among the video publishers, private hospitals were the most (n = 36, 33%). The most (n = 71, 66%) populer category of videos were patient education videos. Half (n = 55, 51%) of the narrators in the videos were only oncology professionals. Mean DISCERN, JAMA, GQS, VIQI, and HONcode scores were 2.73 ± 1.18, 1.97 ± 1.05, 2.94 ± 1.08, 14.03 ± 3.73, and 4.68 ± 2.46, respectively. A positive correlation was found between the 5 scoring points (P < .001 for all pairwise comparisons). There was a significant difference between video quality scores according to video categories and video publishers (P < .001 for both). Although most YouTube videos about chemotherapy were helpful to patients, content quality and reliability were moderate-low. Cancer patients looking for information on chemotherapy may find YouTube videos beneficial, but clinicians must be cautious to clear up any misunderstandings.
... And, importantly, they offered access to patients and families via QR codes located in areas where patients and families can access them. Patients often rely on the internet for information because the information, although often inaccurate and outdated, is easily accessible (13,14). Using QR codes offered easy access to the reliable information in a format familiar to patients and families. ...
... There is an expanding body of research assessing the accuracy of healthcare information on this platform including conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), narcolepsy, and many others [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Since heart attack is one of the major chronic illnesses prevailing in today's population, and with the increasing usage of social media for health-related concerns, it is of utmost importance to ensure that accurate information pertaining exclusively to heart attacks is being shared online. ...
Article
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Introduction: This study aims to assess the quality and reliability of the disease information available on YouTube (www.youtube.com) about "heart attacks" or myocardial infarctions, using a Global Quality Score (GQS) for quality, a DISCERN score for reliability, and a Video Power Index (VPI) for popularity. Methodology: In this cross-sectional observational study, the YouTube videos were analyzed in terms of the type of uploader, content, and other factors. The GQS, DISCERN score, and Video Power Index (VPI) were utilized to assess the quality, reliability, and popularity of the information, respectively. Results: The majority of the videos (78.44%) were uploaded over a year ago. Only 33.34% and 7.84% were uploaded by doctors and healthcare organizations, respectively. Around 72.55% of the videos contained information about symptoms, 66.67% discussed the causes, 52.94% covered treatment, and 47.06% focused on prevention. Additionally, 41.18% provided details on investigations, while only 19.61% touched upon mortality. Patient-created videos accounted for 19.61% of the content, and 15.69% of the videos included promotional material. Conclusion: The main outcome of our study indicates that the YouTube videos examined regarding myocardial infarctions exhibit high-quality content, as supported by a higher average GQS score. The consistent quality of information discovered in our study suggests that YouTube can serve as an additional platform for sharing knowledge and educating individuals about this important health condition. By raising awareness and delivering accurate information, these videos can help in early detection, prevention, and better outcomes for individuals who are at risk of experiencing a myocardial infarction.
... A previous study concerning YouTube and men's health revealed that videos which have been created by physicians and healthcare organisations are more reliable. 13 Another study also mentioned that evidence-based videos do exist on YouTube channels and have the potential to be effective instruments in supporting the public in making sound healthcare decisions. 14 In this current time of COVID-19, the role of YouTube has been elevated, as the platform has become an increasingly important source of medical information regarding the pandemic. ...
Article
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Objectives YouTube has been of immense importance in conveying essential information on COVID-19 and promoting the latest healthcare policies during the outbreak. However, there have been few studies that have focused on how healthcare organisations have used YouTube to communicate with the public and increase their awareness during the pandemic, as well as its effectiveness. Design A nationwide observational study. Settings We analysed all YouTube video posts culled from the official accounts of all medical centres in Taiwan from December 2019 to August 2021. Participants All YouTube videos were categorised as either COVID-19 or non-COVID-19 related. The COVID-19-related videos were divided into five categories, and detailed metrics for each video were recorded. For comparison, we also surveyed all YouTube video posts placed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (TCDC). Results We analysed official YouTube channels from 17 academic medical centres, involving a total of 943 videos. We found a relationship between the quantity of YouTube videos uploaded by the TCDC and the trend of confirmed cases (Pearson’s correlation coefficient was 0.25, p=0.02). Data from private hospitals revealed that they posted more COVID-19 videos (103 vs 56) when compared with public hospitals. In addition, multivariate linear regression showed that more ‘likes’ (estimate 41.1, 95% CI 38.8 to 43.5) and longer lengths (estimate 10 800, 95% CI 6968.0 to 14 632.0) of COVID-19-related videos correlated significantly with an increased number of ‘views’. Conclusions This nationwide observational study, performed in Taiwan, demonstrates well the trend and effectiveness of academic medical centres in promoting sound healthcare advice regarding COVID-19 through YouTube due to the channel’s easy accessibility and usability.
... 34 YouTube not only provides access to educational information, with a new trend of learning through videos, but also provides a platform for sharing interactive information, lectures, and other educational materials. [35][36][37][38] However, the risk of the dissemination of misleading information cannot be ignored, 39-41 as videos are not peer-reviewed and/or generally not published by healthcare institutions. [42][43][44] Videos on different topics in the health area have been widely disseminated on YouTube, whether with the aim of informing the layperson about a specific topic, 43,45,46 professional and medical training or for the exchange of experience between patients. ...
Article
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Cervical cancer is a major cause of preventable death in women. Health education strategies on preventive and protective methods are decisive for health promotion. In view of the popularity of the YouTube platform, this study evaluated 169 most viewed videos, selected based on the keyword "cervical cancer" in Brazil. These were downloaded and transcribed and analyzed for technical information and content analysis compared to information from the World Health Organization. Most of the analyzed videos are short; posted by laypeople (37.9%) and widely viewed (1,400 to more than 62,000). Although the majority try to disseminate information content, more than 58.9% do not cover the definition of cervical cancer, its risk factors (80.47%), signs and symptoms (68.64%), primary prevention (68.5%) and tertiary prevention (74.56%). Secondary prevention was addressed in 49.70%, but only 1.2% with correct and complete information. In general, 57.4% of the videos were rated as bad or very bad, pointing to the low quality of information about cervical cancer prevention on YouTube in Brazil. In conclusion, YouTube has been used in Brazil to discuss important issues about cervical cancer, but the quality of the video content is quite limited.
... Anyone easily uploads every kind of health-related content on YouTube uncontrolled, cost-free, and unaudited manner. According to research by Warren et al., most YouTube content directly connected to men's health is unreliable, and reliable videos are not seen more frequently than unreliable ones (10). Similarly, in this study, it was seen that videos with low-quality content had higher viewing rates. ...
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Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of YouTube videos about penile doppler ultrasonography (PDU), a diagnostic tool for erectile dysfunction. Material and Methods: Videos on YouTube were searched using the term “Penile Doppler Ultrasonography”. The most related 48 videos were included in to study. For each video, uploader type (physician, patient, or YouTuber), target group (physicians or non-physicians), video duration, upload date, daily view count, the total number of views, and the number of likes and comments were recorded. The reliability and quality of the content of these videos included in the study were evaluated using JAMA, DISCERN, and GQS scores. Results: The physicians uploaded all of the videos used in the study. It was shown that 27 (56%) of the videos were prepared for physicians, and the remaining videos were prepared for non-physicians. All the videos had general information about the PDU, 32 (67%) videos gave theoretical information, and 23 (48%) videos gave information about the application of the PDU. When the videos were examined according to the target group, it was shown that the videos prepared for physicians had a longer duration (p=,001) but had a lower number of comments and views (p=,012 and p=.046, respectively). In addition, when the video content quality and reliability were examined, the average JAMA score was 2.5, the GQS score was 3.44, and the DISCERN score was 52.2. It was found that the quality and reliability scores were statistically higher in the videos prepared for physicians (p
... Untuk menyempurnakan kegiatan pembelajaran sebagaimana dijabarkan di atas, dosen dapat memfasilitasi kegiatan diskusi dan berbagi mahasiswa menggunakan saluran Youtube. Youtube adalah situs media sosial yang paling banyak digunakan (Warren,et al., 2021) Pembelajaran menggunakan Youtube mempengaruhi kemampuan matematis mahasiswa. Hasil penelitian Bina (2021) menunjukkan bahwa rata-rata kemampuan matematis mahasiswa setelah menggunakan media pembelajaran online Youtube meningkat dan respon mahasiswa sangat baik. ...
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Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh model team based project berbantuan aplikasi geogebra dan youtube pada matakuliah konstruksi geometri terhadap hasil belajar mahasiswa. Jenis penelitian yang dilakukan pada penelitian ini yaitu penelitian pre-eksperimental (poor eksperimental research) dengan desain the one-shot case study design. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh mahasiswa Pendidikan Matematika Universitas Bengkulu dengan sampel satu kelas yaitu mahasiswa yang mengambil mata kuliah konstruksi geometri pada tahun 2021 berjumlah 34 orang. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan adalah one sample t-test. Hasil dari pengujian hipotesis diperoleh nilai sig =0,001 0,05 sehingga dapat disimpulkan bahwa terdapat pengaruh model team based project berbantuan aplikasi geogebra dan youtube pada matakuliah konstruksi geometri terhadap hasil belajar mahasiswa.
... Traditional health education has included the detailed explanation of illnesses by physicians at the clinic, distribution of educational materials such as pamphlets, and displaying of posters detailing relevant diseases; however, the streaming of videos on the internet has gradually become a contemporary and important way for patients and the general public to gain knowledge about diseases. YouTube is becoming an important source of non peer-reviewed medical information because it allows easy access to information and has worldwide popularity (5). The 2018 Health Information National Trends Survey mentioned that one-third of people have searched YouTube for videos about health-related topics (6). ...
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Objective Patients utilize the internet as a pathway to acquire knowledge of specific diseases. However, there are limited oversight and review mechanisms to ensure the authenticity of online information. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of video-based resources used to obtain information about atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods Multiple AF-specific keywords were used to perform a systematic search of YouTube. Two independent reviewers reviewed the top 50 results of each keyword search. To record data, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) score, modified DISCERN score, AF-specific score (AFSS), and essential score (Escore) were used. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used for intergroup comparisons. Results A total of 74 videos that met the inclusion criteria were included in the analysis. In terms of video quality, 68% were poor, 19% were moderate, and 13% were exceptional. Videos submitted by publishers with a medical background were much less popular (p < 0.05) than those submitted by publishers without a medical background. The video quality did not differ among those included in this study. Conclusions Some videos on YouTube that are of real value are not as popular as those with low-quality content submitted by news agencies/media publishers. Furthermore, videos submitted by those with a medical background do not receive as much attention as others. It is important to acknowledge that video platforms should establish content and quality auditing mechanisms for videos. Furthermore, publishers should ensure that viewers receive accurate and complete knowledge and use more concise and accessible images or animations that are tailored to the audience.
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Background Large language model (LLM) chatbots, a form of artificial intelligence (AI) that excels at prompt‐based interactions and mimics human conversation, have emerged as a tool for providing patients with information about urologic conditions. We aimed to examine the quality of information related to benign prostatic hyperplasia surgery from four chatbots and how they would respond to sample patient messages. Methods We identified the top three queries in Google Trends related to “treatment for enlarged prostate.” These were entered into ChatGPT (OpenAI), Bard (Google), Bing AI (Microsoft), and Doximity GPT (Doximity), both unprompted and prompted for specific criteria (optimized). The chatbot‐provided answers to each query were evaluated for overall quality by three urologists using the DISCERN instrument. Readability was measured with the built‐in Flesch–Kincaid reading level tool in Microsoft Word. To assess the ability of chatbots to answer patient questions, we prompted the chatbots with a clinical scenario related to holmium laser enucleation of the prostate, followed by 10 questions that the National Institutes of Health recommends patients ask before surgery. Accuracy and completeness of responses were graded with Likert scales. Results Without prompting, the quality of information was moderate across all chatbots but improved significantly with prompting (mean [SD], 3.3 [1.2] vs. 4.4 [0.7] out of 5; p < 0.001). When answering simulated patient messages, the chatbots were accurate (mean [SD], 5.6 [0.4] out of 6) and complete (mean [SD], 2.8 [0.3] out of 3). Additionally, 98% (39/40) had a median score of 5 or higher for accuracy, which corresponds to “nearly all correct.” The readability was poor, with a mean (SD) Flesch–Kincaid reading level grade of 12.1 (1.3) (unprompted). Conclusions LLM chatbots hold promise for patient education, but their effectiveness is limited by the need for careful prompting from the user and by responding at a reading level higher than that of most Americans (grade 8). Educating patients and physicians on optimal LLM interaction is crucial to unlock the full potential of chatbots.
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Introduction Despite direct access to clinicians through the electronic health record, patients are increasingly turning to the internet for information related to their health, especially with sensitive urologic conditions such as Peyronie’s disease (PD). Large language model (LLM) chatbots are a form of artificial intelligence that rely on user prompts to mimic conversation, and they have shown remarkable capabilities. The conversational nature of these chatbots has the potential to answer patient questions related to PD; however, the accuracy, comprehensiveness, and readability of these LLMs related to PD remain unknown. Aims To assess the quality and readability of information generated from 4 LLMs with searches related to PD; to see if users could improve responses; and to assess the accuracy, completeness, and readability of responses to artificial preoperative patient questions sent through the electronic health record prior to undergoing PD surgery. Methods The National Institutes of Health’s frequently asked questions related to PD were entered into 4 LLMs, unprompted and prompted. The responses were evaluated for overall quality by the previously validated DISCERN questionnaire. Accuracy and completeness of LLM responses to 11 presurgical patient messages were evaluated with previously accepted Likert scales. All evaluations were performed by 3 independent reviewers in October 2023, and all reviews were repeated in April 2024. Descriptive statistics and analysis were performed. Results Without prompting, the quality of information was moderate across all LLMs but improved to high quality with prompting. LLMs were accurate and complete, with an average score of 5.5 of 6.0 (SD, 0.8) and 2.8 of 3.0 (SD, 0.4), respectively. The average Flesch-Kincaid reading level was grade 12.9 (SD, 2.1). Chatbots were unable to communicate at a grade 8 reading level when prompted, and their citations were appropriate only 42.5% of the time. Conclusion LLMs may become a valuable tool for patient education for PD, but they currently rely on clinical context and appropriate prompting by humans to be useful. Unfortunately, their prerequisite reading level remains higher than that of the average patient, and their citations cannot be trusted. However, given their increasing uptake and accessibility, patients and physicians should be educated on how to interact with these LLMs to elicit the most appropriate responses. In the future, LLMs may reduce burnout by helping physicians respond to patient messages.
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Background: Proper technique for using inhalers is crucial in treating pediatric asthma. YouTube offers a wide range of videos on pediatric inhaler technique, but there is a need to analyze the quality, reliability, and content of these resources. Aims: This study aims to analyze the quality, reliability, and content of YouTube videos on pediatric asthma inhaler techniques. Methods: The study has a descriptive, retrospective, and cross-sectional design. The research was conducted by searching YouTube using the "Pediatric Metered Dose Inhaler," "Pediatric Accuhaler," and "Pediatric Diskus." The video's popularity was measured using the Video Power Index. The quality and reliability of the videos were evaluated using the modified DISCERN and Global Quality Scale (GQS). Results: This study analyzed 55 YouTube videos on the pediatric inhaler technique. 19 of the videos were related to the pMDI inhaler with a spacer for tidal breathing, 14 pMDI inhaler with a spacer for single breath, and 22 diskus device. Findings show that videos demonstrating the use of pMDI devices for single breath have more reliable modified DISCERN scores. However, videos related to tidal breathing are more popular than those showing the use of diskus devices and single breath. Based on the checklist for videos on diskus devices, the steps with the highest error rates are 'Check dose counter' at 72.7% and 'Breathe out gently, away from the inhaler' at 63.6%. A moderate correlation was observed between the modified DISCERN score and the GQS. Conclusions: While YouTube videos on the pMDI single-breath technique may be useful for pediatric patients and caregivers, it is crucial for them to receive inhaler technique education from their healthcare provider. This study's findings hold great significance for pediatric patients and caregivers, particularly those who rely on YouTube for health-related information.
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Background: YouTube is one of the most used social media platforms for accessing health information. Objective: To evaluate the quality and reliability of YouTube videos about chronic prostatitis. Methods:YouTube search using the keywords "kronik prostatit" for Turkish videos and 'chronic prostatitis' for English videos were done. The videos were evaluated through modified-Quality Criteria for Consumer Health Information (DISCERN), the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the Global Quality Scale (GQS), and Video Power Index (VPI) scoring systems. The characters of the videos were also recorded and analyzed. Results: Of the 65 Turkish videos, videos of health professions (HPv) were uploaded 58 and seven videos of laypersons (Lv). There were no significant differences between the views, like counts, VPI, or the content quality and reliability of HPv and Lv. Of the 62 English videos, videos of HP were uploaded 40 and 22 videos of laypersons. Although HPv were found to have greater DISCERN and JAMA values, Lv had more views, view ratio, and Video Power Index than HPv. When all 127 videos were evaluated regardless of the language, Lv were found to have more total views and ratings, but there were no significant differences between like ratio, VPI, DISCERN, JAMA, and GQS values between the two groups. Conclusions: Most YouTube videos about chronic prostatitis did not have enough quality and reliable information. Health associations should be more attentive to posting more content videos of sufficient quality and reliability on social media platforms.
Article
YouTube, a popular worldwide source to access health information online, may have an impact in enhancing exercise therapy for fibromyalgia patients. This study is aimed to investigate the quality and reliability of exercise videos prepared for fibromyalgia syndrome on YouTube. A thorough search on YouTube using six search terms related to fibromyalgia treatment and exercise was conducted. The videos with content on exercises for fibromyalgia, acceptable audio-video quality, and are in English language were included, whereas duplicates were excluded from the analysis. Quality was determined using the Global Quality Scale (GQS) and JAMA system, and reliability using the mDISCERN criteria. Out of a total of 600 videos, 70 videos that met the inclusion criteria were included in the analysis. Physicians were found to produce content mostly in high and medium quality (%70.2), other medical professionals mostly in low and medium quality (93.8%), while non-medical users mostly in low quality (86.7%). Ninety percent of the videos targeted patients, while 10% targeted healthcare professionals as an audience, and the majority (93.7%) of videos targeting patients were of low and medium quality, as most (85.7%) of the videos targeting healthcare professionals were of high quality. YouTube can be used as a tool to increase exercise adherence in fibromyalgia patients, as it offers a wide range of content that is easily accessible and useful at times. To implement this tool, physicians need to upload more content online as they stand for pioneers of high-quality information dissemination on the internet. KeyPoints • This research emphasizes the need for high-quality online healthcare information which is accessed by a vast number of individuals and the implementations that effectively address and prevent the spread of misinformation. • Additionally, it presents suggestions for the future regarding the uploading of such content on the internet. • Physicians hold the key responsibility in ensuring the availability of high-quality online health content, thereby carrying significant implications for its overall impact.
Article
Background Social platforms such as YouTube have become sources of information about diseases as they can be easily and rapidly accessed. However, this also has the risk of ill-intentioned content and misleading information. Objective To evaluate the reliability of YouTube video content about delayed ejaculation treatment. Material and methods YouTube videos were searched using the terms “delayed ejaculation,” “retarded ejaculation,” “inhibited ejaculation,” and “anejaculation.” Videos were excluded if they were not in English, were not related to the subject, or did not have audio and visual content. In accordance with the scientifically proven accurate information, the videos were separated as reliable (Group 2, n: 112) and unreliable videos (Group 1, n: 94). The groups were compared in respect of the video characteristics, and the scores obtained in the DISCERN-5, Global Quality Scale, the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool Audiovisual, and the Journal of the American Medical Association scales. Intraclass correlation test was used to evaluate the level of agreement between the two investigators. Results Of the 1200 videos, 994 were excluded. No significant difference was determined between the Group 1 and Group 2 in respect of the median number of views [1672 (4555) vs 1547 (28,559), p = 0.63] and likes [10 (42) vs 17 (255), p = 0.07]. There was a greater number of videos in the Group 2 (54.4%) and the points obtained on the scoring scales were significantly higher than the Group 1 ( p < 0.001). The videos originating from universities/professional organizations/non-profit physician/physician group were comprised the majority of the reliable videos (55.3%) and the unreliable videos had more content related to treatment (71.4%) ( p < 0.001). Conclusion Although there was a greater number of reliable videos related to the problem of delayed ejaculation, the content could be misleading and should be avoided by patients seeking treatment without consulting a physician.
Article
Purpose: To evaluate the reliability of YouTube™ videos on zirconia crowns in pediatric dentistry. Methods: On January 4, 2022, a search was performed using the term "pediatric zirconia crown". The first 100 videos on the subject were included. Non-English videos, duplicates, and off-topic videos were excluded. For each video, an examiner recorded the number of views, likes, comments, channel followers, upload date, duration, and category rating. Two examiners assessed the reliability of the information presented in the videos using DISCERN, a brief questionnaire and scale score used to assess in a valid and reliable way the quality of information on treatment choices for health problems. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed (p < 0.05). Results: Of the initial 100 videos, 72 were excluded because of language, duplication, and subject matter. The 28 remaining videos had an average of 3.5 comments, 8,896.18 channel followers, 5,614.00 views, 19.14 likes, and a duration of 840.32 s. The average view rate was 7.54 per day ± 10,206.81. There was a statistically significant difference between the number of views and comments (p < 0.001), likes and comments (p < 0.001), and likes and views (p = 0.006). According to the DISCERN, none of the videos received the maximum grade to be considered very good. Two were considered good, nine fair, fourteen poor, and three very poor. Conclusion: Given that the majority of YouTube™ videos currently available on zirconia crowns in pediatric dentistry were deemed unreliable according to the DISCERN questionnaire, caution should be exercised when using the information presented.
Article
Objective To evaluate the validity of YouTube content on shockwave, platelet-rich plasma, and stem cell therapies for erectile dysfunction (ED). The consumerization of men's health is particularly notable among regenerative ED treatments, and the popularity of these treatments has been amplified by social media sites such as YouTube. Methods We searched YouTube utilizing the following terms: “shockwave therapy-,” “platelet-rich plasma- and “stem cell therapy-“ “-for erectile dysfunction.” The first 50 resulting videos per query were screened (inclusion criteria: relevant title/content, English language, >100 views) and judged by two independent graders using the validated DISCERN instrument for consumer health information. Regression analysis assessed association of video characteristics with DISCERN score. Results 71 unique videos met criteria. More content featured non-physicians (37%) or non-urologist physicians (35%) than urologists (28%). Mean DISCERN score was low at 42.8 out of 80. DISCERN score significantly differed by video category and characteristics. Educational and urologist-featuring videos were associated with higher score. News reports were associated with lower score. Only 3 videos mentioned investigational/experimental status of the therapies. Only 2 cited society guidelines. Conclusion Most YouTube videos on regenerative ED therapies are unreliable and from non-urologists. The misrepresentation of proven efficacy may be encouraging patients to seek these still investigational treatments at high fiscal costs to the patient. Videos with urologists were more likely to be higher quality and guideline based. The urological and academic communities should continue to leverage the power of social media to provide evidence-backed consumer health information in this space.
Article
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.
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Extended Summary Introduction and Objective There are thousands of patient information videos published on YouTube, the most watched video sharing platform; however, most of these videos contain incomplete or incorrect information. Interestingly, some videos with incomplete or incorrect information have a higher view rate. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of patient information videos on ‘undescended testis’ published on YouTube. Material and Method A search was conducted on YouTube using the keywords ‘undescended testis’ and ‘cryptorchidism’, and a total of 373 videos were found. Among these, 122 patient information videos presented in the English language were examined. Four different scoring systems were used to evaluate the quality of the videos: Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials, Global Quality Score, Journal of American Medical Association score, and modified DISCERN scoring system. Whether the videos contained accurate and sufficient information was evaluated using a scoring system developed based on the patient information booklet prepared by the European Association of Urology (EAU) on undescended testis. Results The median duration (sec), number of views and number of likes of the videos were 269 (11-2,484), 589 (6-1.563,561) and 7 (0-4.200), respectively. According to the EAU-patient information scoring (EAU-PIS), while 32 (26.2%) of the total 122 videos contained a good level of informativeness (score: 8-10), the view rate of these videos was only 4.1% among all videos. When the top 10 most watched videos were evaluated, their mean EAU-PIS was 5.9±2.81, and these videos contained a moderate level of informativeness. On the positive side, 90% of all the videos recommended surgery as a treatment option. Discussion Although YouTube is a widely used video-sharing platform, it is also a website where people or institutions can easily upload non-standardized videos due to the absence of regulations. Therefore, although it is an easily accessible source of information, it has many gaps in terms of reliability. As shown in our study, the rate of videos with accurate information was very low. It would be beneficial for viewers to be aware of this and accept YouTube as a source where they can have a general idea about a subject in which they are interested rather than using it as a reference information site. In future, YouTube can become a reference source in the medical field, especially with the standardization of medical videos through the collaboration of various organizations.
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Introduction Many patients seek information online including on social media. Aim To assess the quality of information regarding erectile dysfunction (ED) in YouTube videos. Methods We searched “erectile dysfunction” on YouTube in October 2019 and evaluated the first 100 videos in English sorted by relevance. Main Outcome Measure We recorded the user engagement, video producer, intended audience, and content. Videos containing medical information were evaluated using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) and the DISCERN quality criteria for consumer health information. The PEMAT evaluates the understandability and actionability of materials as a percentage. The DISCERN assesses the quality of information by a scale from 1 (serious or extensive shortcomings) to 5 (minimal shortcomings). Results The median number of total views was 22,450 (range 591–20,255,133) and the median number of views/month was 654 (range 9–723,398). 42 percent of the videos were posted by professional medical institutions, and 21% were posted by individual medical professionals. Most videos were aimed at the general public or patients suffering from ED. The median PEMAT understandability and actionability scores were both 100% (range 50–100% and 33–100%, respectively). The median DISCERN score was 2 (range 1-5) with 80.4% receiving a score of ≤3. Overall, 28% of the videos contained direct misinformation. DISCERN scores were higher in videos produced by medical institutions (P = .0104), not selling specific products (P = .007) and not promoting alternative medicine (P = .0002). The number of subscribers was an independent predictor of views/month (P < .0001). Conclusion Patients may be exposed to videos of poor quality when searching for information about ED on YouTube. The medical community needs to adapt a strategy to improve the quality of online medical information.
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Streaming video has emerged as a dominant content-delivery medium for healthcare information, with over 30 million visitors daily to the YouTube platform alone. Videos related to men's health have proliferated, but content produced by trained health care providers remains scarce. We evaluated educational YouTube streaming videos created in collaboration with a large, university-based health system focused on male factor infertility, men's health, and Peyronie's disease, uploaded during 2016-2018. All videos featured a board-certified urologist with fellowship training in andrology. Using YouTube's native analytics tools, we extracted data on views, engagement, and geographic reach through 8/2019. We obtained data for streaming videos on male infertility (n=3), general men's health (n=2), and Peyronie's disease (n=1). Video length ranged from 29 to 51 min, with a mean video duration of 39 min 41 sec. Actual mean watch time by viewers ranged from 3:45 to 8:30. The total view count was 646,684, with a watch time of nearly 3 million mins, reaching viewers in 47 countries. Fifty-three percent of watch time was on a mobile device and 33% on a personal computer. As patients increasingly turn to the internet for health information, health systems and physicians may wish to leverage high impact social media platforms such as YouTube to share evidence-based content. This study highlights the impressive reach a health system-sponsored video intervention using YouTube can have in sharing accurate video content related to a diverse range of men's health topics. This is the first health systems-based streaming-video intervention to leverage the video streaming and social media platform YouTube, to facilitate sharing reputable, high quality, and evidence-based men's health content.
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This study evaluates YouTube videos (YTVs) focused on male infertility to assess information quality and identify high-quality content that can reliably facilitate care. Top 50 YTVs based on relevance were identified using the keyword “male infertility.” A checklist, adapted from American Urological Association guidelines addressing male infertility, was developed to assess YTV content. Two investigators extracted YTV features (including duration, likes, views, upload date), classified creators and ranked YTVs based on checklist scores. YTVs were then assigned grades A–D based on checklist scores. Kruskal–Wallis test and ANOVA were employed to draw associations between grades, content creator, and YTV features. Higher grades were associated with shorter video duration (p = 0.0305). Most YTVs (23/42) were created by healthcare-related organizations. Of the 42 YTVs included in the final analysis, 31% (13/42) explicitly defined infertility as an inability to conceive after 12 months of unprotected intercourse. Ninety percent (38/42) discussed male infertility evaluation methods, while 71% (30/42) discussed various interventions. Various content creators have adopted YouTube to discuss male infertility, and healthcare practitioners should be aware of YouTube’s potential influence on patient understanding of male infertility. Knowledge gaps identified in YTVs can help improve patient counseling and enable practitioners to direct patients to reliable content.
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Clinical guidelines have conflicting recommendations on the role of prostate artery embolization (PAE), a novel interventional radiology technique used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In the absence of consensus among clinicians, patients may seek information online, where consumer-targeted content has proliferated in recent years. Our objective was to assess the content and quality of online information about prostate artery embolization (PAE). We evaluated patient interest and exposure to PAE by searching Google Trends for PAE and searching Google for BPH and treatment-related terms. To assess online content about PAE safety and efficacy, we queried Google for patient-oriented websites and YouTube for consumer videos, assessing quality using the validated DISCERN instrument and performing an evidence-based content analysis of how indications, risks, and benefits of PAE were presented. Worldwide searches for PAE peaked in 2019; PAE was mentioned in 15 (26%) of the 57 general BPH-related websites. From our PAE-specific searches, we identified 50 websites and 31 videos. Academic hospitals were the most common sponsor of both PAE-related websites (16, 32%) and videos (15, 48%). Among sources offering PAE to patients, only 15% of websites and 11% of videos explicitly did so as part of a clinical trial. The average DISCERN rating of quality of content was 3.0 out of 5 for websites and 2.0 out of 5 for videos (p < 0.001). Over a quarter of websites and more than half of videos contained potential misinformation, inaccuracies, or non-evidence-based claims about PAE (p = 0.02). Online consumer information about PAE is of low to moderate quality, with a high frequency of non-evidence-based claims. In the absence of guideline consensus about the role of PAE, clinicians should offer shared decision making and evidence-based counseling about the risks and benefits of PAE.
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Black men are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer (PCa) compared to non‐Black men; yet <4% of therapeutic PCa clinical trials adequately accrue a representative sample of Black men. Patients increasingly use the Internet for health information, and YouTube is the most commonly used social network.
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Introduction: Tinder is the most popular and used meeting application for dating. However, its impact on sexual behavior and sexual health has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Objectives: To review the current empirical knowledge on the sexual health and sexual behavior effects related to Tinder use. Methods: A literature review was conducted based on empirical studies published in the last 5 years. A computerized search was performed to identify all relevant studies in PubMed and Google Scholar. The following search terms were used: "Tinder" AND "Sexuality" OR "Tinder" AND "Sexual Behavior" OR "Tinder" AND "Sexual Dysfunctions" OR "Tinder" AND "Sexual Health." 34 articles fully satisfied the established criteria. Results: We found sociosexuality, that is, sexual activities outside a committed relationship, to be the main predictor for casual sex in the Tinder users. The sexual aims appeared gender-influenced: men used Tinder mostly for casual sex compared with women. With respect to other dating apps, it has been also found that the Tinder use is less related to the risk of sexually transmitted infections. However, specific personality traits related to dark personality (ie, the association of Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) were more frequently reported among male Tinder users. Conclusion: Existing literature concerning Tinder use shows the advantages and disadvantages of this dating technology. Casual sex might be a risk for sexual health, but Tinder users have also been committed to romantic relationships. Moreover, some pathological aspects of personality characterize some Tinder users. From an evolutionary perspective, sociosexuality partially explains the reasons of the Tinder user's interest for casual sex. Finally, this review highlights the need of further studies on Tinder as a new, pivotal virtual place to promote sex education and sexual health. Ciocca G, Robilotta A, Fontanesi L, et al. Sexological Aspects Related to Tinder Use: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature. Sex Med Rev 2020;XX:XXX-XXX.
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Objectives To assess the quality of videos on the surgical treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (LUTS/BPH) available on YouTube, given that such video‐sharing platforms are frequently used as sources of patient information and the therapeutic landscape of LUTS/BPH has evolved substantially during recent years. Materials and Methods A systematic search for videos on YouTube addressing treatment options for LUTS/BPH was performed in May 2019. Measures assessed included basic data (e.g. number of views), grade of misinformation and reporting of conflicts of interest. The quality of content was analysed using the validated DISCERN questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results A total of 159 videos with a median (range) of 8570 (648–2 384 391) views were included in the analysis. Only 21 videos (13.2%) were rated as containing no misinformation, 26 (16.4%) were free of commercial bias, and two (1.3%) disclosed potential conflicts of interest. According to DISCERN, the median overall quality of the videos was low (2 out of 5 points for question 16). Only four of the 15 assessed categories (bipolar and holmium laser enucleation of the prostate, transurethral resection of the prostate and patient‐based search terms) were scored as having moderate median overall quality (3 points). Conclusion Most videos on the surgical treatment of LUTS/BPH on YouTube had a low quality of content, provided misinformation, were subject to commercial bias and did not report on conflicts of interest. These findings emphasize the importance of thorough doctor–patient communication and active recommendation of unbiased patient education materials.
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The use of social media is rapidly expanding. This technology revolution is changing the way healthcare providers share information with colleagues, patients, and other stakeholders. As social media use increases in urology, maintaining a professional online identity and interacting appropriately with one's network are vital to engaging positively and protecting patient health information. There are many opportunities for collaboration and exchange of ideas, but pitfalls exist without adherence to proper online etiquette. The purpose of this article is to review professional guidelines on the use of social media in urology, and outline best practice principles that urologists and other healthcare providers can reference when engaging in online networks.
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Introduction Twitter is a social network based on “tweets,” short messages of up to 280 characters. Social media has been investigated in health care research to ascertain positive or negative feelings associated with several conditions but never in sexual medicine. Aim To assess perceptions related to erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE) among Twitter users. Methods Data collection was performed on a daily basis between May 24–October 9, 2018 (138 days) via an automated script. Data collection was then performed after data cleaning. The statistical software R and the rtweet packages were used in both phases. Results We collected 11,000 unique tweets for PE and 30,546 unique tweets for ED. After data cleaning, we analyzed 7,020 tweets on PE and 22,648 tweets on ED by analyzing the most recurring words and the clusters describing word associations. The most popular words for ED were “Treatment,” “Health,” and “Viagra,” whereas “Sex,” “Sexual,” and “Cure” were the top 3 for PE. Word clusters suggest the presence of some recurring themes, such as medical terms being grouped together. Additionally, tweets reflect the general feelings triggered by specific events, such as pieces of news pertaining to sexual dysfunctions. Clinical Implications Tweets on sexual dysfunctions are posted every day, with more tweets on ED than on PE. Treatment is among the chief topics discussed for both conditions, although health concerns differ between PE and DE tweets. Strength and Limitations This is the first analysis conducted on Tweets in the field of andrology and sexual medicine. A significant number of tweets were collected and analyzed. However, quantitative assessment of the sentiment was not feasible. Conclusion Sexual dysfunctions are openly discussed on social media, and Twitter analysis could help understand the needs and interests of the general population on these themes.
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Background: Approximately 73% of US adults use YouTube, making it the most popular social media platform. Misinformation on social media is a growing concern; recent studies show a high proportion of misinformative health-related videos. Several studies on patient-provider communication and general health information seeking have been conducted. However, few studies to date have examined the potential association between patient-provider communication and health information seeking on specific social media platforms such as YouTube. A better understanding of this relationship may inform future health communication interventions. Objective: The aim was to use nationally representative cross-sectional data to describe the association between perceived patient-provider communication quality and sociodemographic factors on watching YouTube health-related videos. Methods: Data from the 2018 Health Information National Trends Survey were analyzed (N=3504). The primary outcome was whether participants watched a health-related video on YouTube over the past 12 months. A patient-provider communication composite score was created by summing responses about how often providers did the following: (1) gave you the chance to ask all the health-related questions you had, (2) gave attention to your feelings, (3) involved you in health care decisions as much as you wanted, (4) made sure that you understood the things you needed to do to take care of your health, (5) explained things in a way that you could understand, (6) spent enough time with you, and (7) helped you deal with feelings of uncertainty. Sociodemographic factors included age, gender, race/ethnicity, and education. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were conducted. Results: Approximately 1067 (35% weighted prevalence) participants reported watching a health-related video on YouTube. Higher perceived quality of patient-provider communication on the composite score was significantly associated with lower odds of watching health-related videos on YouTube. Regarding sociodemographic factors, increasing age and being a high school graduate (compared with college graduate) were associated with lower odds of watching health-related videos on YouTube; whereas, Hispanic and non-Hispanic Asians were more likely to have watched a health-related video on YouTube. For individual aspects of patient-physician communication, two of seven patient-provider communication variables were significant. Those who reported that providers "sometimes" spent enough time with them had higher odds of watching a health-related video on YouTube, compared with those who said providers "always" spent enough time with them. Participants reporting that they "never" have a chance to ask all their health-related questions also had higher odds of watching health-related videos on YouTube compared with those who reported "always." Conclusions: Higher perceived quality of patient-provider communication is associated with lower odds of watching health-related videos on YouTube. When providers do not spend enough time or give an opportunity to ask questions, patients are more likely to pursue health information on social media.
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Background: Infertility patients frequently use the internet to find fertility-related information and support from people in similar circumstances. YouTube is increasingly used as a source of health-related information and may influence health decision making. There have been no studies examining the content of infertility-related videos on YouTube. Objective: The purpose of this study was to (1) describe the content of highly viewed videos on YouTube related to infertility and (2) identify video characteristics that relate to viewer preference. Methods: Using the search term "infertility," the 80 top-viewed YouTube videos and their viewing statistics (eg, views, likes, and comments) were collected. Videos that were non-English, unrelated to infertility, or had age restrictions were excluded. Content analysis was used to examine videos, employing a coding rubric that measured the presence or absence of video codes related to purpose, tone, and demographic and fertility characteristics (eg, sex, parity, stage of fertility treatment). Results: A total of 59 videos, with a median of 156,103 views, met the inclusion criteria and were categorized into 35 personal videos (35/59, 59%) and 24 informational-educational videos (24/59, 41%). Personal videos did not differ significantly from informational-educational videos on number of views, dislikes, subscriptions driven, or shares. However, personal videos had significantly more likes (P<.001) and comments (P<.001) than informational-educational videos. The purposes of the videos were treatment outcomes (33/59, 56%), sharing information (30/59, 51%), emotional aspects of infertility (20/59, 34%), and advice to others (6/59, 10%). The tones of the videos were positive (26/59, 44%), neutral (25/59, 42%), and mixed (8/59, 14%); there were no videos with negative tone. No videos contained only male posters. Videos with a positive tone did not differ from neutral videos in number of views, dislikes, subscriptions driven, or shares; however, positive videos had significantly more likes (P<.001) and comments (P<.001) than neutral videos. A majority (21/35, 60%) of posters of personal videos shared a pregnancy announcement. Conclusions: YouTube is a source of both technical and personal experience-based information about infertility. However, videos that include personal experiences may elicit greater viewer engagement. Positive videos and stories of treatment success may provide hope to viewers but could also create and perpetuate unrealistic expectations about the success rates of fertility treatment.
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In the United States, prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer in men after skin cancer. There is a paucity of research devoted to the types of prostate cancer information available on social media outlets. YouTube™ is a widely used video sharing website, which is emerging as commonplace for information related to health. The purpose of this study was to describe the most widely viewed YouTube™ videos related to prostate cancer. The 100 videos were watched a total of 50,278,770 times. The majority of videos were uploaded by consumers (45.0%) and medical or government professionals (30%). The purpose of most videos (78.0%) was to provide information, followed by discussions of prostate cancer treatment (51%) and prostate-specific antigen testing and routine screening (26%). All videos uploaded by medical and government professionals and 93.8% of videos uploaded by news sources provided information compared with about two thirds of consumer and less than one half of commercial and advertisement videos (p < .001). As society becomes increasingly technology-based, there is a need to help consumers acquire knowledge and skills to identify credible information to help inform their decisions.
Conference Paper
Recent years have witnessed a significant increase in the online sharing of medical information, with videos representing a large fraction of such online sources. Previous studies have however shown that more than half of the health-related videos on platforms such as YouTube contain misleading information and biases. Hence, it is crucial to build computational tools that can help evaluate the quality of these videos so that users can obtain accurate information to help inform their decisions. In this study, we focus on the automatic detection of misinformation in YouTube videos. We select prostate cancer videos as our entry point to tackle this problem. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, we introduce a new dataset consisting of 250 videos related to prostate cancer manually annotated for misinformation. Second, we explore the use of linguistic, acoustic, and user engagement features for the development of classification models to identify misinformation. Using a series of ablation experiments, we show that we can build automatic models with accuracies of up to 74%, corresponding to a 76.5% precision and 73.2% recall for misinformative instances.
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Data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) show that the Internet is the first place people go to when they need information about health or medical topics. Searches for online health information have both benefits and challenges for patient-physician communication. To fully appreciate these issues, it is important to understand the following: (1) who is going online; (2) why are they going; (3) where are they going; (4) what needs are being met; and (5) how, if at all, do they discuss health information found online with their doctors. The objective of this mini-review is to highlight contemporary issues regarding the impact of the internet on patient-physician communication and to present directions for future research. Patient summary The growing use of the Internet has implications for people seeking information on health matters. Our review shows that the Internet can be helpful for patient-physician communication, but this depends on the quality of health information found and whether the information is discussed during medical visits.
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Introduction: An increasing number of patients are seeking premature ejaculation (PE) therapy online. Although health care information on the Internet about PE is abundant, the quality of information about its treatment on YouTube, the most visited online video streaming service, is unknown. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the role of videos pertaining to the treatment of PE through YouTube. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed through YouTube using the keywords "cure premature ejaculation," "end premature ejaculation," "stop premature ejaculation," or "premature ejaculation treatment." The videos were sorted as reliable or nonreliable by 2 urologists as they may contain scientifically proven information or not. Nonrelevant, non-English, and silent videos were excluded. Video demographics were analyzed by the quality and source of the video. Main outcome measures: A 5-point global quality scale, a 5-point modified reliability (DISCERN) tool, kappa statistic, the intraclass correlation coefficient, and descriptive statistics in the form of proportions and percentages were used. Results: Of the 800 videos, 668 were excluded because they were duplicates (n = 389), irrelevant (n = 49), not in English (n = 284), or had no audio (n = 51). Of the 132 videos, 93 (70%) were described as reliable and 39 (30%) as nonreliable. The kappa statistic for interobserver agreement was 0.832. In the reliable information group, the reliability (2.55 ± 1.03) and quality scores of the contents (2.74 ± 1.06) were statistically higher than those in the nonreliable information group (0.23 ± 0.53 and 1.15 ± 0.48, respectively; P < .05). The majority of the nonreliable information group comprised medical advertisement/for-profit companies (51%) and individuals (41%). There was no significant difference between the reliable and nonreliable information groups in terms of average views (P = .873) and viewed videos per day (P = .538). Clinical implications: Evaluating videos about the management of PE holds promise for understanding what men are exposed to. Strength & limitations: The study simultaneously investigated the quality and accuracy of YouTube videos by several aspects using validated instruments. As for limitations, there is no consensus in the literature regarding how to assess health care-related online videos, and the results were not derived from patients' perceptions. Conclusion: The study highlights data about the treatment of PE on YouTube. Videos with reliable information outnumbered those with nonreliable information. This is the first study to demonstrate that YouTube is an important source of data on PE management. Physicians and health care providers should contribute reliable content, and YouTube should remove deceptive videos before patients watch them Gul M, Diri MA. YouTube as a Source of Information About Premature Ejaculation Treatment. J Sex Med 2019;16:1734-1740.
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Social media is used by patients for health care information. We analyzed the quality of YouTube videos on prostate cancer screening. Most videos (71.1%) mentioned the potential harms of prostate cancer screening. There was no significant difference in risk-related information between videos published before and after the publication of US Preventive Services Task Force 2012 guidelines for prostate cancer screening. In conclusion, the quality of information of YouTube videos on prostate cancer screening is low and the content is potentially misleading.
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YouTube is a social media platform with more than 1 billion users and >600 000 videos about prostate cancer. Two small studies examined the quality of prostate cancer videos on YouTube, but did not use validated instruments, examine user interactions, or characterize the spread of misinformation. We performed the largest, most comprehensive examination of prostate cancer information on YouTube to date, including the first 150 videos on screening and treatment. We used the validated DISCERN quality criteria for consumer health information and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool, and compared results for user engagement. The videos in our sample had up to 1.3 million views (average 45 223) and the overall quality of information was moderate. More videos described benefits (75%) than harms (53%), and only 50% promoted shared decision-making as recommended in current guidelines. Only 54% of the videos defined medical terms and few provided summaries or references. There was a significant negative correlation between scientific quality and viewer engagement (views/month p = 0.004; thumbs up/views p = 0.015). The comments section underneath some videos contained advertising and peer-to-peer medical advice. A total of 115 videos (77%) contained potentially misinformative and/or biased content within the video or comments section, with a total reach of >6 million viewers. Patient summary: Many popular YouTube videos about prostate cancer contained biased or poor-quality information. A greater number of views and thumbs up on YouTube does not mean that the information is trustworthy. Many of the top YouTube videos on prostate cancer contain biased or misinformative content. User engagement was higher for videos with a lower quality of information. Prostate cancer providers, researchers, and organizations should continue to create evidence-based content that is of interest to viewers to help balance what patients and their families access.
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Aim: To assess the quality of YouTube videos explaining transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided biopsies of the prostate. Materials and methods: A search of YouTube was made for the terms "TRUS", "TRUS biopsy", "transrectal ultrasound", and "prostate biopsy". Videos were selected from the first 10 pages of results and reviewed by three authors against criteria based on written information from the British Association of Urological Surgeons. They were given a qualitative rating based on how well they provided information on factors such as preparation for the procedure, mechanism of the procedure and possible side effects. Data were also collected on view count, country of origin, likes, and dislikes. Results: A total of 41 videos were reviewed, with no videos achieving an "excellent" rating, 32 being rated as "very poor", and only one rated as "good". Despite the poor-quality information, 39 of the videos were from healthcare organisations or individual surgeons. Videos often lacked specific information, or were targeted at healthcare professionals instead of patients. Conclusion: The information about TRUS-guided prostate biopsies on YouTube was not of a sufficiently high standard to allow patients to make informed decisions. Healthcare professionals hence have a duty to point patients towards adequate sources of reputable information online. Furthermore, there remains an opportunity to produce high-quality, informative, patient-focussed medical YouTube videos.
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Introduction. Information derived from social media sources is being used to save lives and take vital life altering decisions. YouTube is one of the most widely used social media for seeking medical information. Quality of information available to patients and medical professionals on YouTube with regards to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), a common urological condition, was assessed. Materials and methods. First 100 videos results on BPH were analysed by three independent observers and graded based on the quality of information provided using an indigenous grading system of five points ranging from not useful to Informative for the Medical Professional. Correlation of this score with rank, number of views and "likes" was performed. Source of videos was identified along with analysis of comments. Results. A large proportion of videos (63%) was found to be irrelevant to the search, projected wrong facts or provided very basic information about prostate and the disease. A small but significant number of videos contained useful and relevant information. Only a handful of videos were useful for the urologist and adequate to guide the patient. A negative correlation between the quality of videos and their ranking on search was observed. Conclusions. You-Tube offers very few high quality resources for patients and physicians. There is a significant negative correlation between useful videos and higher ranks in search results, but no correlation with number of views and likes. The first video in such results should be issued by a governing body that serves as the gold standard for patients and physicians.
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Social media are potentially valuable tools for disseminating cancer education messages, but the differential effects of various sites on persuasive outcomes are unknown. In an effort to inform future health promotion, this research tested the effects of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and blogs for delivering a cancer risk reduction message. Using an experimental design, participants were randomly placed in several conditions that delivered the same message but with different forms of social media. Effects on comprehension and attitudes were examined, as they are important variables in the behavior change process. YouTube led to higher comprehension and stronger attitudes toward cancer risk reduction than Twitter, but there were no differences between other sites. Additionally, YouTube led to stronger attitudes toward cancer risk reduction as compared to Facebook, but not any other sites. These results demonstrate that, even if the message is kept constant, the form of social media used to deliver content can have an effect on persuasive outcomes. More research is needed to determine the mechanisms behind the differences found, however. Altogether, this line of research is valuable for any individuals seeking to use social media for health promotion purposes and could have direct implications for the development of cancer risk reduction campaigns.
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Inter-rater assessments of agreement are an essential criterion in the subjective evaluation of product quality. When assessments among raters demonstrate evidence of a lack of agreement (partial or total), there is a need to identify the source of disagreement. The objective being the reduction or mitigation of the influence different raters have on the assessment and the achievement of consistency among raters. The less influence that raters have on the assessment, the more confident one is in making critical to quality decisions. However, situations do exist in which user perceptions can be unreliable (not repeatable) and demonstrate poor correlation with engineered specifications. Quality management teams must be aware of this. When such situations exist, it is advisable to revisit the voice of the process as a reliable function of specification. Copyright©2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Article
Patients can search the Internet for prostate cancer information, and YouTube is a popular Web site that they may consult. We analyzed the prostate cancer videos on YouTube for information content and the presence of bias. YouTube was searched for videos about prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing, radiotherapy, and surgery for prostate cancer. The included videos were in English and <10 minutes long. Two physician viewers watched each video and assigned a score for information content (excellent, fair, poor) and bias (for, against, neutral, or balanced). A third viewer arbitrated any discrepancies. The kappa statistic was used to measure interobserver variability, and Pearson's test was used to assess correlation. A total of 14 PSA videos, 5 radiotherapy videos, and 32 surgery videos were analyzed. The PSA testing videos averaged 1480 +/- 2196 views and 146 +/- 174 s long and had an average viewer rating of 3.1 +/- 2.1 (viewer rating scale 0-5). The surgery videos averaged 2044 +/- 3740 views and 172 +/- 122 s long and had an average viewer rating of scored 3 +/- 2.2. The radiotherapy videos averaged 287 +/- 255 views and 97 +/- 45 s long and had a score of 1.8 +/- 2.5. The information content was fair or poor for 73% of all videos. The bias for surgery, radiotherapy, or PSA testing was present in 69% of videos; 0% of videos were biased against treatment or PSA testing. The interobserver variability was well above than expected by chance alone. The results of our study have shown that although some videos are robust sources of information, given the preponderance of modest and unbalanced information among reviewed videos, YouTube is an inadequate source of prostate cancer information for patients.
Article
To determine the percentage of patients enrolled in a primary care practice who use the Internet for health information, to describe the types of information sought, to evaluate patients' perceptions of the quality of this information, and to determine if patients who use the Internet for health information discuss this with their doctors. Self-administered mailed survey. Patients from a primary care internal medicine private practice. Randomly selected patients ( N=1,000) were mailed a confidential survey between December 1999 and March 2000. The response rate was 56.2%. Of the 512 patients who returned the survey, 53.5% (274) stated that they used the Internet for medical information. Those using the Internet for medical information were more educated ( P <.001) and had higher incomes ( P <.001). Respondents used the Internet for information on a broad range of medical topics. Sixty percent felt that the information on the Internet was the "same as" or "better than" information from their doctors. Of those using the Internet for health information, 59% did not discuss this information with their doctor. Neither gender, education level, nor age less than 60 years was associated with patients sharing their Web searches with their physicians. However, patients who discussed this information with their doctors rated the quality of information higher than those who did not share this information with their providers. Primary care providers should recognize that patients are using the World Wide Web as a source of medical and health information and should be prepared to offer suggestions for Web-based health resources and to assist patients in evaluating the quality of medical information available on the Internet.
Quality of Information in YouTube Videos on Erectile Dysfunction
  • Fode M.
  • Nolsoe A.B.
  • Jacobsen F.M.
  • Russo G.I.
  • Ostergren P.B.
  • Jensen C.F.S.
  • Albersen M.
  • EAU YAU Men's Health Working Group
DISCERN: an instrument for judging the quality of written consumer health information on treatment choices
  • Charnock