A Quality Analysis of Disc Herniation Videos on YouTube

doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2019.01.146

World Neurosurgery

Volume 124, April 2019, Pages e799-e804

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2019.01.146 Get rights and content

Background

An increasing number of patients are investigating health information by using the Internet because of its exponential growth. Therefore, it is important to test the accuracy of the information presented to determine which information should not be shared. This study investigated the information available on YouTube with regard to disc herniation.

Methods

The first 50 videos found after the keyword “disc herniation” was used in the YouTube search engine were included in the study. Video popularity was evaluated with an index called the video power index (VPI). The quality and accuracy of the information were evaluated by 2 independent spinal surgeons using the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) score and the DISCERN scoring system. Interobserver agreement and individual correlations of the data of each video were statistically analyzed.

Results

Of the 50 videos evaluated, 16 (32%) contained animation and 34 (64%) contained real images. The mean duration was 6.587 minutes, and the mean view was 423.472. The mean DISCERN score was 30.7 (±10.3), and the mean JAMA score was 1.8 (±0.5). There was good agreement between the 2 researchers in terms of DISCERN and JAMA scores. No statistically significant correlation was found between the JAMA and DISCERN scores of both researchers and VPI values, video lengths, animation, or real images.

Conclusions

The quality of the disc herniation information offered on YouTube is low. The evaluation of medical information obtained from the Internet by health professionals is an important step in guiding the correct flow of medical information to patients.

Introduction

YouTube is the largest media-sharing site in the world; it is used by 95% of people with Internet access and has more than 30 million active users per day.¹ Patients frequently refer to this website to obtain information about their diseases because of its rich video archive.2, 3, 4, 5 In addition, YouTube, which has more than 1 billion users worldwide, is a resource for medical students because of its wide variety of medical videos.6, 7

Because of the Internet and cellular data, it has become possible for patients to easily access information related to their diseases. Although anyone can access information through the Internet, it may not be possible for all persons to judge the quality and accuracy of that information. It should be determined how much of the information available online is appropriate because using the Internet is considered the most modern approach to accessing information.⁸

As a result of a Google search we performed on November 14, 2018, using the keyword “disc herniation,” we found approximately 30 million results. Studies have reported that the health information on the Internet is of low quality.⁹ However, it is necessary to present high-quality health information to create strong public health systems.¹⁰

The objective of this study was to investigate the quality of YouTube contents, accessed by use of the keyword “disc herniation” to obtain medical information from the viewpoint of patients. We believe that health-related information on the internet is important, but it must be accurate and reliable.

Section snippets

Materials and Methods

No changes were made to the standard search options provided by YouTube. “Disc herniation” was the key word entered into the search bar of YouTube. Advertisements, duplicate videos, and non-English videos found during the search of YouTube with the keyword “disc herniation” were excluded from the study. The titles of videos were analyzed in the ascending page order until 50 videos were collected according to the exclusion criteria. Fifty obtained YouTube videos, regardless of the spine level

Results

Of the 50 videos evaluated, 16 (32%) contained animation and 34 (64%) contained real images; 24 of the 50 (48%) were uploaded by physicians, 12 (24%) were uploaded by health channels, 9 (18%) were uploaded by chiropractors, 4 (8%) were uploaded by patients, and 1 (2%) was uploaded by a trainer (Table 3). Fifteen videos (30%) included a general introduction about disc herniation, and 20 (40%) provided information about nonsurgical treatment options. Four videos (8%) were surgical technique

Discussion

The study determined that the quality and reliability of the disc herniation information offered on YouTube are low. It may not always be possible for patients who are not medical professionals to synthesize medical information with their own points of view to test the accuracy of the medical information obtained from the Internet or to perform an Internet search using correct keywords. Many Internet websites such as YouTube have taken precautions by adding keywords that are more likely to be

Conclusion

Obtaining medical information about diseases by performing an Internet search is an incontestable right of a patient. Allowing open access to information resources, providing comprehensive information about treatment alternatives, and directing people to healthcare professionals to make the final decision about the shared information can increase the quality of health information presented in a public platform. Improving access to enhanced medical information using methods such as information

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: Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that the article content was composed in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Original ArticleA Quality Analysis of Disc Herniation Videos on YouTube

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Introduction

Section snippets

Materials and Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion

World Neurosurg

World Neurosurg

J Crohns Colitis

Urology

Arthroscopy

Spine J

YouTube statistic page

Medical YouTube videos and methods of evaluation: literature review

JMIR Med Educ

Evaluating the accuracy and quality of the information in kyphosis videos shared on YouTube

Spine (Phila Pa 1976)

Online curves: a quality analysis of scoliosis videos on YouTube

Spine (Phila Pa 1976)

Medical education videos for the world: an analysis of viewing patterns for a YouTube channel

Acad Med

Educational quality of Youtube videos on knee arthrocentesis

J Clin Rheumatol

The characteristics and motivations of online health information seekers: cross-sectional survey and qualitative interview study

J Med Internet Res

Accuracy of information on apparently credible websites: survey of five common health topics

BMJ

Health information systems: The foundations of public health

Bull World Health Organ

Assessing, controlling and assuring the quality of medical information on the Internet: Caveant lector et viewor–Let the reader and viewer beware

JAMA

Original Article
A Quality Analysis of Disc Herniation Videos on YouTube