Abstract
YouTube (YT) has become a popular health information reservoir. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the content and quality of YT videos as a source of patient information for meningiomas. A YT search was conducted for the following terms: “meningioma”, “meningiomas”, “meningeal tumor”, and “psammoma”. A total of 119 videos were examined by five independent raters, using validated quality criteria, including the Quality Criteria for Consumer Health Information (DISCERN), the Journal of the American Medical Association instrument (JAMA), and the Global Quality Score (GQS). The mean DISCERN score was 35.6 points, while the mean GQS and JAMA scores were 2.4 and 1.8, respectively. The majority of the videos were produced in the United States (37.82%). Moreover, 47.9% of the evaluated videos were graded as “poor” and only 9.24% were “good”. Statistically higher scores in all three scoring systems were associated with the following information: tumor localization, clinical manifestations, indications for surgery, treatment options, risks, adjuvant therapies, results, follow up, diagrams, and those that featured a doctor as the speaker. Misleading information was presented in 35 productions. Our findings show that the overall quality of YT on the topic of meningiomas is defective, and requires further improvement and evaluation.
Highlights
Introduction and TaoHsin TungWith YouTube (YT) currently being the most widespread, multinational video platform, with over two billion active monthly users of all ages, it is a simple and quick method to find information on any given topic
Videos published on YT should be regularly checked, in terms of their quality, and improved, as they constitute a source of medical knowledge for a large group of recipients without medical education
One study evaluated the quality of YT videos about meningiomas
Summary
With YouTube (YT) currently being the most widespread, multinational video platform, with over two billion active monthly users of all ages, it is a simple and quick method to find information on any given topic. Videos published on YT should be regularly checked, in terms of their quality, and improved, as they constitute a source of medical knowledge for a large group of recipients without medical education. The quality of videos relating to neurological and neurosurgical conditions, such as migraine, glioblastoma, stroke or brain aneurysm, has been assessed [1–4]. One study evaluated the quality of YT videos about meningiomas. The assessment was only conducted for meningioma treatment [5]. A large amount of valuable information about meningiomas still needs to be covered
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