Analysis of the Quality, Reliability, and Educational Content of YouTube Videos Concerning Spine Tumors
Michelle Richardson, Won Park, David N. Bernstein, Addisu Mesfin
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Given the high volume of user traffic to YouTube, it is important that the medical information disseminated on this platform is of high quality. Unfortunately, previous studies have demonstrated this to not be the case. We aimed to evaluate the quality and educational content of YouTube videos concerning spine tumors using 2 previously validated assessment tools. METHODS: benchmark criteria (range: 0-4) were used to assess video reliability, whereas the Global Quality Score (GQS) (range: 0-5) was used to determine educational quality and content. RESULTS: = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: The reliability, quality, and educational content of YouTube videos were poor to suboptimal. Physicians should be wary of the education provided by YouTube on spine tumors and guide patients in seeking out additional sources of information. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: YouTube videos are commonly viewed by patients seeking health information on spine tumors. While certain videos may provide useful information, the absence of an editorial process allows videos with poor reliability and low quality to be uploaded. We believe these findings may be useful to physicians seeking ways to better guide their patients with the most appropriate educational tools throughout their disease management.