Analysis of the Quality, Reliability, and Educational Content of YouTube Videos Concerning Spine Tumors.

BACKGROUND

Given the high volume of user traffic to YouTube, it is important that the medical information disseminated on this platform is of high quality. Unfortunately, previous studies have demonstrated this to not be the case. We aimed to evaluate the quality and educational content of YouTube videos concerning spine tumors using 2 previously validated assessment tools.

METHODS

The first 50 videos returned by the keyword search "spine tumor" were included in the study. The benchmark criteria (range: 0-4) were used to assess video reliability, whereas the Global Quality Score (GQS) (range: 0-5) was used to determine educational quality and content.

RESULTS

Videos were primarily authored by academic medical groups (80%), while content was primarily related to disease-specific information (44%) or the patient experience (24%). Surgical treatment options and nonsurgical management were discussed in 66% and 50% of all videos, respectively. Sixty percent of videos reported benefits of treatment, while 44% reported potential risks or complications. The average score and GQS were 3.1 ± 0.27 (range: 3-4) and 2.6 ± 1.3 (range: 1-5), respectively. Multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that video duration (β = 0.00697, = 0.04) and number of views (β = 0.000018, = 0.001) were positively associated with score. Video duration and number of dislikes were associated with higher GQS (β = 0.041, = 0.025) and lower GQS (β = -0.189, = 0.04), respectively. Lastly, number of days since upload was associated with lower Video Power Index (β = -0.003, = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

The reliability, quality, and educational content of YouTube videos were poor to suboptimal. Physicians should be wary of the education provided by YouTube on spine tumors and guide patients in seeking out additional sources of information.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

YouTube videos are commonly viewed by patients seeking health information on spine tumors. While certain videos may provide useful information, the absence of an editorial process allows videos with poor reliability and low quality to be uploaded. We believe these findings may be useful to physicians seeking ways to better guide their patients with the most appropriate educational tools throughout their disease management.