ASSESSING THE ACCURACY AND QUALITY OF YOUTUBE VIDEOS ON EARLY PREGNANCY LOSS

Abstract

To assess the accuracy and quality of YouTube videos pertaining to early pregnancy loss for use as a patient education tool. A cross-sectional study was conducted via YouTube search using the keywords “miscarriage,” “spontaneous abortion,” “pregnancy loss,” and “pregnancy failure.” The first 20 results for each keyword search, sorted by both relevance and view count, were compiled into a list. Predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Descriptive characteristics, including the numbers of views, likes, dislikes, video length, and duration of upload were collected. Videos were categorized by authority and purpose. All videos were independently evaluated by two physician researchers using two unique assessment tools. The Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose (CRAAP) test was used to measure the reliability of video content. The Miscarriage-Specific Question Score (MSQS) criterion was used to objectively assess video content specific to miscarriage. Inter-rate agreement was analyzed via kappa coefficient and Pearson correlation. 160 videos were identified on preliminary screening. Of these, 86 videos were excluded because there were duplicates (n = 33), irrelevant (n = 47), or not in English (n = 6). Of the 74 included videos, 25 were from companies (33.8%), 16 from institutions (21.6%), 15 from patients (20.3%), 15 from medical providers (20.3%), and 3 were unknown (4.1%). Videos were also classified by purpose: 51 were educational (68.9%), 18 were testimonials (24.3%), 2 were news reports (2.7%), 2 were advertisements (2.7%), and 1 was other (1.4%). Mean video total view count was 406,010 views, with a mean of 8,086 likes and 232 dislikes. Mean video length was 546 seconds. The mean CRAAP score was 8.3 out of a total possible score of 15, demonstrating good quality sources, not of academic level. Mean MSQS score was 8.1 out of a total possible score of 24, demonstrating fair accuracy and comprehensiveness. Pearson correlations were 0.87 and 0.86 for CRAAP and MSQS total scores, respectively, demonstrating excellent inter-rater reliability. YouTube videos related to early pregnancy loss span a wide range of quality, accuracy and purpose. While some videos provide effective content, mean rater scores demonstrate that YouTube is not a reliable source for patient education on early pregnancy loss. If healthcare providers choose to recommend YouTube to patients, they should consider keeping a list of high-quality, accurate videos on hand that may help patients make appropriate medical decisions.