The unintentional spread of misinformation on ‘TikTok’; A paediatric urological perspective

Abstract

'TikTok' is a social media application based on the publication of short videos that has accumulated over 1.1 billion users worldwide since its launch in 2016. With the use of 'TikTok' on the rise, there is an increasing tendency for patients or family members to seek medical information online. We aim to assess the authenticity of information being spread on 'TikTok' on common paediatric urological presentations by comparison to current up to date guidelines provided by the European Association of Urology (EAU). A search for a variety of paediatric urology conditions was performed on 'TikTok'. Videos were subsequently screened based on strict pre-defined criteria. The content and claims of each video were compared to up-to-date guidelines to reveal whether or not they complied with standards set by the European Association of Urology (EAU). Information that correlated with that of the guidelines was then further classified by Oxford levels of evidence. 27 videos met our criteria with a combined total of 6,578,863 views, 308,700 likes and 5782 comments. Only 22.2% of videos contained information that can also be found in guidelines provided by the EAU. None of the included videos contained any cited evidence to reinforce statements that were being made. Misinformation lacking scientific evidence has been reported has been reported for various conditions on 'TikTok'. Patients, family members or caregivers without a medical background can have difficult verifying and ensuring the credibility of information posted on social media. The evolution of 'TikTok' has allowed the layperson to create content that can potentially reach millions of users worldwide. This study demonstrated that 'TikTok' can be used as a resource for health information, however is currently a pit of misinformation with the potential to cause harm to the user.