Rosenberg Hilla, Hollander Yael, Gordon Chaya Bracha, Rotem Reut, Horev Amir
Faculty of Health Sciences, ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Department of Urogynecology, Cork University Maternity Hospital, Cork, Ireland.
Int J Dermatol. 2025 Jul 23. doi: 10.1111/ijd.17962.
Vitiligo, an autoimmune disorder causing skin depigmentation, significantly impacts quality of life. With over 1 billion users, TikTok has become a major platform for health information dissemination. However, its engagement-driven algorithm raises concerns about misinformation. This study evaluates the accuracy of the most-liked vitiligo-related TikTok videos and examines the platform's role in health education.
We retrieved TikTok videos using "#Vitiligo" and analyzed the first 100 videos that met inclusion criteria. Videos were categorized into healthcare providers (HP) and non-healthcare providers (NHP). Content characteristics and engagement metrics were extracted. Three independent reviewers assessed quality using multiple assessment tools-Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT), modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), Video Information and Quality Index (VIQI), and Global Quality Score (GQS). A novel tool, V-TRACE, was developed to evaluate (1) clinical aspects (pathophysiology, clinical presentation, treatment, and autoimmune comorbidities) and (2) social aspects (body image and representation of people of color).
Of 100 videos analyzed, 25% were from HP, demonstrating significantly higher quality across all metrics. HP videos focused on education (96% vs. 20%, p < 0.01) and scored higher on mDISCERN (2.66 vs. 1.66, p < 0.01), GQS (2.66 vs. 1.6, p < 0.01), and VIQI (12.33 vs. 10.00, p < 0.01). NHP produced 75% of videos, received higher engagement (p = 0.04), and had a more positive tone (30.7% vs. 12%, p = 0.05).
Vitiligo-related TikTok content lacks reliability. HPs produce higher-quality content, while NHPs dominate engagement and potentially spread misinformation. There is a need for more evidence-based, engaging content to improve patient education on the platform.
白癜风是一种导致皮肤色素脱失的自身免疫性疾病，严重影响生活质量。拥有超过10亿用户的TikTok已成为健康信息传播的主要平台。然而，其基于参与度的算法引发了对错误信息的担忧。本研究评估了TikTok上最受欢迎的白癜风相关视频的准确性，并考察了该平台在健康教育中的作用。
我们使用“#白癜风”检索TikTok视频，并分析了符合纳入标准的前100个视频。视频分为医疗保健提供者（HP）和非医疗保健提供者（NHP）两类。提取内容特征和参与度指标。三位独立评审员使用多种评估工具——患者教育材料评估工具（PEMAT）、改良的辨别工具（mDISCERN）、视频信息和质量指数（VIQI）以及全球质量评分（GQS）来评估质量。开发了一种新工具V-TRACE，以评估（1）临床方面（病理生理学、临床表现、治疗和自身免疫性合并症）和（2）社会方面（身体形象和有色人种的呈现）。
在分析的100个视频中，25%来自医疗保健提供者，在所有指标上均显示出显著更高的质量。医疗保健提供者的视频侧重于教育（96%对20%，p<0.01），在mDISCERN（2.66对1.66，p<0.01）、GQS（2.66对1.6，p<0.01）和VIQI（12.33对10.00，p<0.01）上得分更高。非医疗保健提供者制作了75%的视频，获得了更高的参与度（p=0.04），并且语气更积极（30.7%对12%，p=0.05）。
TikTok上与白癜风相关的内容缺乏可靠性。医疗保健提供者制作的内容质量更高，而非医疗保健提供者主导着参与度，并且可能传播错误信息。需要更多基于证据且引人入胜的内容，以改善该平台上的患者教育。
