Evaluating Content, Quality, and Adequacy of Maxillofacial Trauma Videos on YouTube

Abstract

Aim: The study aimed to analyze the content, quality and adequacy of information on YouTube videos regarding maxillofacial trauma. Material and Methods: The keyword “maxillofacial trauma” was obtained from Google Trends, YouTube was then searched, and 200 videos were selected to be analyzed for the study. Of the 200 videos, 108 were found eligible and then rated for quality and adequacy. After evaluating the demographic features of the videos, the viewing rates of the videos were determined. The quality of the videos was assessed by the Information Quality Index (VIQI) and the Global Quality Scale (GQS). The videos were categorized as low and high-content groups using a 16-point score system. Shapiro-Wilk test, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson chi-square test and Fisher-Freeman-Halton were used for statistical analysis. Results: The vast majority of YouTube videos were uploaded by healthcare professionals (55.6%). The low content videos were classified as 88 videos (81.5%) and 20 videos (18.5%) as high content. The anatomic structures were the most covered topic (43.5%), followed by trauma area (40.7%), treatment procedure (32.4%), intraoral complications (31.5%), and definition of maxillofacial trauma (30.6%). A lower percentage of videos (13.9%) mentioned post-operative. Prognosis and survival (17.6%) were another low finding. The high-content video group had a significantly higher median value of GQS and VIQI score. A positive correlation was obtained from the total content score along with the total VIQI (r=0.792, p<0.001) and GQS (r=0.778, p<0.001) score and also it was determined that there was a statistically significant positive correlation between VIQI and GQS scores (r=0.930, p<0.001). Conclusions: The findings of this study highlight the need for improved content quality and accuracy of YouTube videos on maxillofacial trauma, particularly for layperson audiences. This could be achieved through collaboration between healthcare professionals, commercial entities, laypersons and YouTube to create, review, and promote reliable educational content. By doing so, YouTube can become a more valuable resource for patient education and awareness regarding maxillofacial trauma management and treatment.