Does YouTube Provide Reliable and High-Quality Information? Assessment of Pap Smear Test Videos

Abstract

Aim: YouTube is one of the most popular video-sharing platforms and is used by many people as a source of information regarding health conditions. Although there are many studies examining YouTube health-related videos in terms of quality, content and accuracy, there is not any study observing the content of YouTube videos about the “Pap smear test.” Therefore, we intended to evaluate YouTube videos related to the Pap smear test. Methods: We made a search by typing “Pap smear test” and observed the first 100 videos. According to our selection criteria, only 42 videos were reviewed. We used 3 different questionnaires to rate the videos. The videos were independently rated by 2 gynecologists in terms of technical aspects, follow-up protocol, and video quality. Results: Our study showed that clarity of the technical aspects of Pap smear testing (Q1) was 40% and that of the follow-up protocol (Q2) was only 11%. In terms of video quality (Q3), the adequacy rate was 34%. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between search rank and the video power index (which increased as the ranking decreased to rank 1, r: −0.481). Conclusion: We did not find quality and reliable information on YouTube videos about the Pap smear test, which is important for early detection of cervical cancers. While preparing health-related videos for YouTube and similar websites, the support of professional healthcare workers will help provide more accurate content.