Evaluating the quality and reliability of YouTube videos on myopia: a video content analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the quality and reliability of YouTube videos as an educational resource about myopia. METHODS: The videos were identified by searching YouTube with the keywords 'myopia' and 'nearsightedness', using the website's default search settings. The number of views, likes, dislikes, view ratio, source of the upload, country of origin, video type, and described treatment techniques were assessed. Each video was evaluated using the DISCERN, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP), Health On the Net Code of Conduct Certification (HONcode), and the Global Quality Score (GQS) scales. RESULTS: A total of 112 videos were included. The classification of videos by source indicated that the top three contributors were health channels (30 videos [26.8%]), physicians (24 videos [21.4%]), and academic centers (19 videos [16.9%]). Most of these videos originated from the United States (74 videos [66.1%]) and focused on the pathophysiology (n = 89, 79.4%) and the treatment (n = 77, 68.7%) of myopia. Statistical comparisons among the groups of video sources showed no significant difference in the mean DISCERN score (p = 0.102). However, significant differences were noted in the JAMA (p = 0.011), GQS (p = 0.009), HONcode (p = 0.011), and EQIP (p = 0.002) scores. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscored the variability in the quality and reliability of YouTube videos related to myopia, with most content ranging from 'weak to moderate' quality based on the DISCERN and GQS scales, yet appearing to be 'excellent' according to the HONcode and EQIP scales. Videos uploaded by physicians generally exhibited higher standards, highlighting the importance of expert involvement in online health information dissemination. Given the potential risks of accessing incorrect medical data that can affect the decision-making processes of patients, caution should be exercised when using online content as a source of information.

Mobile App Intervention to Reduce Substance Use, Gambling, and Digital Media Use in Vocational School Students: Exploratory Analysis of the Intervention Arm of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: During adolescence, substance use and digital media exposure usually peak and can become major health risks. Prevention activities are mainly implemented in the regular school setting, and youth outside this system are not reached. A mobile app ("Meine Zeit ohne") has been developed specifically for vocational students and encourages participants to voluntarily reduce or abstain from a self-chosen addictive behavior including the use of a substance, gambling, or a media-related habit such as gaming or social media use for 2 weeks. Results from a randomized study indicate a significant impact on health-promoting behavior change after using the app. This exploratory study focuses on the intervention arm of this study, focusing on acceptance and differential effectiveness. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were (1) to examine the characteristics of participants who used the app, (2) to explore the effectiveness of the mobile intervention depending on how the app was used and depending on participants' characteristics, and (3) to study how variations in app use were related to participants' baseline characteristics. METHODS: Log data from study participants in the intervention group were analyzed including the frequency of app use (in days), selection of a specific challenge, and personal relevance (ie, the user was above a predefined risk score for a certain addictive behavior) of challenge selection ("congruent use": eg, a smoker selected a challenge related to reducing or quitting smoking). Dichotomous outcomes (change vs no change) referred to past-month substance use, gambling, and media-related behaviors. The relationship between these variables was analyzed using binary, multilevel, mixed-effects logistic regression models. RESULTS: The intervention group consisted of 2367 vocational students, and 1458 (61.6%; mean age 19.0, SD 3.5 years; 830/1458, 56.9% male) of them provided full data. Of these 1458 students, 894 (61.3%) started a challenge and could be included in the analysis (mean 18.7, SD 3.5 years; 363/894, 40.6% female). Of these 894 students, 466 (52.1%) were considered frequent app users with more than 4 days of active use over the 2-week period. The challenge area most often chosen in the analyzed sample was related to social media use (332/894, 37.1%). A total of 407 (45.5%) of the 894 students selected a challenge in a behavioral domain of personal relevance. The effects of app use on outcomes were higher when the area of individual challenge choice was equal to the area of behavior change, challenge choice was related to a behavior of personal relevance, and the individual risk of engaging in different addictive behaviors was high. CONCLUSIONS: The domain-specific effectiveness of the program was confirmed with no spillover between behavioral domains. Effectiveness appeared to be dependent on app use and users' characteristics. TRIAL REGISTRATION: German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00023788; https://tinyurl.com/4pzpjkmj. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): RR2-10.1186/s13063-022-06231-x.

Post-January 6th deplatforming reduced the reach of misinformation on Twitter.

The social media platforms of the twenty-first century have an enormous role in regulating speech in the USA and worldwide1. However, there has been little research on platform-wide interventions on speech2,3. Here we evaluate the effect of the decision by Twitter to suddenly deplatform 70,000 misinformation traffickers in response to the violence at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021 (a series of events commonly known as and referred to here as 'January 6th'). Using a panel of more than 500,000 active Twitter users4,5 and natural experimental designs6,7, we evaluate the effects of this intervention on the circulation of misinformation on Twitter. We show that the intervention reduced circulation of misinformation by the deplatformed users as well as by those who followed the deplatformed users, though we cannot identify the magnitude of the causal estimates owing to the co-occurrence of the deplatforming intervention with the events surrounding January 6th. We also find that many of the misinformation traffickers who were not deplatformed left Twitter following the intervention. The results inform the historical record surrounding the insurrection, a momentous event in US history, and indicate the capacity of social media platforms to control the circulation of misinformation, and more generally to regulate public discourse.

Is YouTube a Useful Source of Information on Pressure Injuries? A Content, Reliability, and Quality Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the comprehensiveness, reliability, and quality of YouTube videos related to pressure injuries. METHODS: The authors searched YouTube for relevant videos using the keywords "pressure injury", "pressure ulcer", "bedsore", "pressure injury etiology", "pressure injury classification", "pressure injury prevention", "pressure injury risk assessment", and "pressure injury management". Of the 1,023 videos screened, 269 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. For each video, the authors recorded the number of views, likes, and comments; the length; and the video upload source. The Comprehensiveness Assessment Tool for Pressure Injuries, the Quality Criteria for Consumer Health Information score, and the Global Quality Score were used to evaluate the comprehensiveness, reliability, and quality of the videos. RESULTS: The mean length of the 269 videos was 6.22 ± 4.62 minutes (range, 0.18-19.47 minutes). Only 14.5% of the videos (n = 39) were uploaded by universities or professional organizations. Most videos included information about PI prevention (69.5%), followed by PI management (27.9%). The mean comprehensiveness score was 2.33 ± 1.32 (range, 1-5). Nearly half of the videos (49.1%) were not reliable. However, the quality of 43.9% of the videos was somewhat useful. The Quality Criteria for Consumer Health Information mean scores of universities/professional organizations (P < .001), nonprofit healthcare professionals (P = .015), and independent health information channel videos (P = .026) were higher than the mean score of medical advertising/profit companies channel videos. CONCLUSIONS: This study draws attention to the need for more comprehensive, high-quality, and reliable videos about PIs. It is important that videos on YouTube provide comprehensive and reliable information for patients, caregivers, students, or providers seeking information on PI prevention, assessment, and management.

Virtual lab coats: The effects of verified source information on social media post credibility.

Social media platform's lack of control over its content made way to the fundamental problem of misinformation. As users struggle with determining the truth, social media platforms should strive to empower users to make more accurate credibility judgements. A good starting point is a more accurate perception of the credibility of the message's source. Two pre-registered online experiments (N = 525;N = 590) were conducted to investigate how verified source information affects perceptions of Tweets (study 1) and generic social media posts (study 2). In both studies, participants reviewed posts by an unknown author and rated source and message credibility, as well as likelihood of sharing. Posts varied by the information provided about the account holder: (1) none, (2) the popular method of verified source identity, or (3) verified credential of the account holder (e.g., employer, role), a novel approach. The credential was either relevant to the content of the post or not. Study 1 presented the credential as a badge, whereas study 2 included the credential as both a badge and a signature. During an initial intuitive response, the effects of these cues were generally unpredictable. Yet, after explanation how to interpret the different source cues, two prevalent reasoning errors surfaced. First, participants conflated source authenticity and message credibility. Second, messages from sources with a verified credential were perceived as more credible, regardless of whether this credential was context relevant (i.e., virtual lab coat effect). These reasoning errors are particularly concerning in the context of misinformation. In sum, credential verification as tested in this paper seems ineffective in empowering users to make more accurate credibility judgements. Yet, future research could investigate alternative implementations of this promising technology.

Evaluation of the understandability, actionability and reliability of YouTube videos for brain, head, and neck cancer information.

PURPOSE: Online videos accessed via YouTube are a popular method to provide health education. Videos need to be critically evaluated for educational qualities as the information could influence health outcomes. The present study aimed to evaluate the understandability, actionability and reliability of videos available on YouTube regarding brain, head, and neck cancer information. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted with a specific search strategy and inclusion/exclusion criteria based on previous studies. For each video, video characteristics and user engagement activities were recorded. Videos were evaluated using the PEMAT-A/V and modified DISCERN criteria. Spearman's rank correlation, Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for analysis. RESULTS: Out of 200 retrieved videos, 37 were included and analysed. The median length of the video was 3 min and 33 s. The majority of videos were published by health institutional and private channels (43.2%, n = 16). Health institutional channels received the highest actionability (Md = 37.5, p = 0.049), while private channels resulted in lower views/day (Md = 0.46, p = 0.001) and likes/day (Md = 0.01, p = 0.002). Animated and narrated videos acquired the highest understandability score (Md = 92.31, p < 0.001). Videos with professional transcripts reported higher actionability (Md = 62.5, p = 0.004), reliability (Md = 3.33, p = 0.028), views/day (Md = 29.31, p = 0.026), and likes/day (Md = 0.272, p = 0.023). CONCLUSION: YouTube videos pertaining to brain and head and neck cancer have low understandability, low actionability and moderate reliability. It is beneficial to have a stronger representation of trustworthy and credible organisations for sharing essential health information via YouTube. Including animations and professional video transcripts may improve their overall quality and consumer engagement.

Characteristics, reliability, and quality of YouTube videos on meralgia paresthetica: a descriptive cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to evaluate YouTube videos on meralgia paresthetica (MP) for reliability, quality, and differences between quality levels. METHODS: We analyzed 59 videos related to MP. We evaluated several video characteristics, including views, likes, dislikes, duration, and speaker profile. We used view ratio, like ratio, Video Power Index (VPI), Global Quality Scale (GQS), JAMA criteria, and modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) to assess viewer engagement, popularity, educational quality, and reliability. RESULTS: The videos received a total of 4,009,141 views (average 67,951.54), with 25.4% focused on exercise training and 23.7% focused on disease information. Mean scores were mDISCERN 2.4, GQS 2.8, and JAMA 2.1. Physician-led videos had higher mDISCERN scores, while allied health worker-led videos had more views, likes, dislikes, view ratios, and VPI. Poor and high-quality videos differed in views, likes, view ratio, VPI, and duration. Positive correlations existed among mDISCERN, JAMA, and GQS scores, with video duration positively correlated with GQS. CONCLUSION: The content of YouTube videos discussing diseases significantly influences viewer engagement and popularity. To enhance the availability of valuable content on YouTube, which lacks a peer review process, medical professionals must contribute high-quality educational materials tailored to their target audience.

Gynecomastia Surgery Patient Education: An Information Quality Assessment of YouTube Videos.

BACKGROUND: YouTube is a platform for many topics, including plastic surgery. Previous studies have shown poor educational value in YouTube videos of plastic surgery procedures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality and accuracy of YouTube videos concerning gynecomastia surgery (GS). METHODS: The phrases "gynecomastia surgery" (GS) and "man boobs surgery" (MB) were queried on YouTube. The first 50 videos for each search term were examined. The videos were rated using our novel Gynecomastia Surgery Specific Score to measure gynecomastia-specific information, the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) to measure understandability and actionability, and the Global Quality Scale to measure general quality. RESULTS: The most common upload source was a board-certified plastic surgeon (35%), and content category was surgery techniques and consultations (51%). Average scores for the Global Quality Scale (x̄ = 2.25), Gynecomastia Surgery Specific Score (x̄ = 3.50), and PEMAT Actionability (x̄ = 44.8%) were low, whereas PEMAT Understandability (x̄ = 77.4%) was moderate to high. There was no difference in all scoring modalities between the GS and MB groups. Internationally uploaded MB videos tended to originate from Asian countries, whereas GS videos tended to originate from non-US Western countries. Patient uploaders had higher PEMAT Actionability scores than plastic surgeon uploaders. CONCLUSIONS: The quality and amount of gynecomastia-specific information in GS videos on YouTube are low and contain few practical, take-home points for patients. However, understandability is adequate. Plastic surgeons and professional societies should strive to create high-quality medical media on platforms such as YouTube.

Social Media Industry Standards Needed to Protect Adolescent Mental Health, Says National Academies.

This Medical News article discusses new recommendations to maximize the benefits and minimize the harms of the social media platforms, including suggestions for research and clinician training.

Breast cancer screening literacy information on online platforms: A content analysis of YouTube videos.

BACKGROUND: The YouTube platform has great potential of serving as a healthcare resource due to its easy accessibility, navigability and wide audience reach. Breast cancer screening is an important preventative measure that can reduce breast cancer mortality by 40%. Therefore, platforms being used as a healthcare resources, such as YouTube, can and should be used to advocate for essential preventative measures such as breast cancer screening. METHODS: In this study, the usefulness of videos related to breast cancer and breast cancer screening were analyzed. Videos were first screened for inclusion and then were categorized into very useful, moderately useful, somewhat useful, and not useful categories according to a 10-point criteria scale developed by medical professionals based on existing breast cancer screening guidelines. Two reviewers independently assessed each video using the scale. RESULTS: 200 videos were identified in the preliminary analysis (100 for the search phrase 'breast cancer' and 100 for the search phrase 'breast cancer screening'). After exclusion of duplicates and non-relevant videos, 162 videos were included in the final analysis. We found the following distribution of videos: 4.3% very useful, 17.9% moderately useful, 39.5% somewhat useful, and 38.3% not useful videos. There was a significant association between each of the following and the video's level of usefulness: video length, the number of likes, and the uploading source. Longer videos were very useful, somewhat useful videos were the most liked, personally produced videos were the most not useful, and advertisements produced the highest ratio of very useful to not useful videos. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to create more reliable and useful healthcare resources for the general population as well as to monitor health information on easily accessible social platforms such as YouTube.

Consulting 'Dr YouTube': a content analysis of YouTube® videos related to hidradenitis suppurativa treatments.

YouTube® is a powerful resource for the dissemination of health information to the general public. We assessed the quality, understandability and evidence-based content of YouTube videos discussing hidradenitis suppurativa treatments, categorized by source: dermatologists, other healthcare professionals, or patients. We demonstrated patient videos were the most popular by viewers, but had the worst ratings for quality and understandability of information presented. Moreover, patient videos were the least likely to recommend the evidence-based treatments. Moving forward, there should be a partnership between dermatologists and patient advocates to create engaging, educational online content for patients to take ownership of their own health.

Society for Vascular Surgery best practice recommendations for use of social media.

The use of social media (SoMe) in medicine has demonstrated the ability to advance networking among clinicians and other healthcare staff, disseminate research, increase access to up-to-date information, and inform and engage medical trainees and the public at-large. With increasing SoMe use by vascular surgeons and other vascular specialists, it is important to uphold core tenets of our commitment to our patients by protecting their privacy, encouraging appropriate consent and use of any patient-related imagery, and disclosing relevant conflicts of interest. Additionally, we recognize the potential for negative interactions online regarding differing opinions on optimal treatment options for patients. The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is committed to supporting appropriate and effective use of SoMe content that is honest, well-informed, and accurate. The Young Surgeons Committee of the SVS convened a diverse writing group of SVS members to help guide novice as well as veteran SoMe users on best practices for advancing medical knowledge-sharing in an online environment. These recommendations are presented here with the goal of elevating patient privacy and physician transparency, while also offering support and resources for infrequent SoMe users to increase their engagement with each other in new, virtual formats.

Toward Better Data Dashboards for US Drug Value Assessments.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the use of data dashboards to convey information about a drug's value, and reduce the need to collapse dimensions of value to a single measure. METHODS: Review of the literature on US Drug Value Assessment Frameworks, and discussion of the value of data dashboards to improve the manner in which information on value is displayed. RESULTS: The incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year ratio is a useful starting point for conversation about a drug's value, but it cannot reflect all of the elements of value about which different audiences care deeply. Data dashboards for drug value assessments can draw from other contexts. Decision makers should be presented with well-designed value dashboards containing various metrics, including conventional cost per quality-adjusted life-year ratios as well as measures of a drug's impact on clinical and patient-centric outcomes, and on budgetary and distributional consequences, to convey a drug's value along different dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: The advent of US drug value frameworks in health care has forced a concomitant effort to develop appropriate information displays. Researchers should formally test different formats and elements.

YouTube videos as a source of information concerning Behçet's disease: a reliability and quality analysis.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the reliability and quality of YouTube videos concerning Behçet disease, for the first time in the literature. The most viewed 50 YouTube videos about Behçet disease were included. Study data used in the analysis included video length, image type, video content, uploaders, time since the date of upload, the number of total views, daily views, and the numbers of like, dislike and comments. The Video Power Index was used to determine popularity of the videos. Reliability and quality of the videos were evaluated using DISCERN and Global Quality Scale (GQS) instruments. The examined YouTube videos were divided into two groups as uploaded by professionals (physicians, health and hospital channels, institutions and societies) and non-professionals (patients, social organizations, others). Twenty-three (46%) videos were uploaded by professionals. The mean DISCERN score was found as 3.98 ± 0.77 in the videos uploaded by healthcare professionals and 2.83 ± 0.64 in those uploaded by non-professionals (p < 0.01). The mean GQS score was found as 4.09 ± 0.72 in the videos uploaded by healthcare professionals and 3.41 ± 0.69 in those uploaded by non-professionals (p < 0.01). 46% of the videos were of low-to-moderate reliability and 56% of low-to-moderate quality. Nearly half of the YouTube videos concerning Behçet disease were uploaded by non-physician sources with poor reliability and quality. Physicians should be encouraged to upload more professional videos to help and guide patients appropriately. YouTube videos should be subjected to an objective evaluation for content quality before they can be published.