The reliability and quality of online patient education videos for vestibular schwannoma

Abstract

Background A recent trend of looking for health-related conditions on the Internet has been described, with up 70% of searchers stating that online sources have affected their medical decision-making. Patients with vestibular schwannomas (VS) use online sources, including videos, to seek information about treatment alternatives and outcomes and surgeons experience. Our study investigates the reliability and quality of VS-related online videos. Methods In April 2020, a search was launched on YouTube for the key terms ‘vestibular schwannoma,’ ‘acoustic neuroma,’ ‘eighth cranial nerve schwannoma,’ and ‘eighth cranial nerve neuroma.’ Results were screened for possible inclusion. Three authors independently used the DISCERN instrument to evaluate the reliability and quality of the included videos. Factors possibly influencing popularity were investigated. Results The initial search yielded 6416 videos. 38 videos were included in the final analysis. The average DISCERN score was 2.76, indicating overall poor quality and reliability of information. Only 5% scored 4.0 or more (unbiased videos that offer evidence-supported information); 31% scored between 3.0 and 3.99, and 63% scored 2.99 or less. Videos describing symptoms or the patient’s clinical presentation were slightly more popular than videos without these characteristics. Surgical videos (videos containing clips of surgical procedures) were significantly more popular than non-surgical videos (p = .024) despite being of similarly poor quality (DISCERN score 2.85 vs. 2.74, respectively). Conclusions Available patient educational videos for VS are of mixed quality and reliability: the authors describe the strengths and pitfalls of existing YouTube videos. Considering that VS is a pathology with multiple available management modalities, and that patients’ decision-making is affected by the information available on the Internet, it is of great importance that good-quality informative material be released by medical, academic, or educational institutions.