Quality and Reliability of YouTube for Patient Information on Neurotoxins

Abstract

YouTube is a common source of medical information for patients. This is the first study to assess the reliability and educational value of YouTube videos on neurotoxin procedures. YouTube.com was searched on June 15, 2020 using the keyword “Botox” or “neurotoxin.” A total of 100 videos were reviewed. Sixty-one videos met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. Video characteristics were noted, and a score was assigned to each video using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria and the Global Quality Score (GQS) to measure source reliability and educational value, respectively. A total of 61 videos that met the inclusion criteria had an average length of 589 seconds (9 minutes and 49 seconds), 210,673 views, 5,295 likes, 318 dislikes, and 478 comments. A total of 30 videos (49%) were posted with an intention to educate patients while 31 videos (51%) were posted with the intention to detail a personal experience with neurotoxin. Patient education videos were significantly more reliable (P _JAMA< 0.001) and had more educational value (P _GQS < 0.001) but were less popular than “personal experience videos.” Personal-experience videos posted by patients had higher popularity, more likes and comments, yet lower scores on reliability and education. Patients will continue to seek educational material online, and clinicians should utilize this information to help primarily educate patients with standardized and accurate information about their treatment.

Key Points

• Question: Are YouTube videos pertaining to neurotoxin reliable and contain useful information to educate patients to make informed decisions about their neurotoxin treatment?

• Findings: Roughly half of videos reviewed were vlogs (video logs), which were of low quality and educational value, but were more popular compared with videos that were intended to educate patients on neurotoxin treatment.

• Meaning: Patients who use YouTube as a source of information about neurotoxin treatment may be misled with inaccurate and unreliable information. Physicians must be aware of these findings to properly educate patients with standardized and accurate information about their treatment.

Keywords

neurotoxin - youtube - education - quality

Author Contributions

All authors had full access to all the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. Study concept and design: all authors. Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: all authors. Drafting of the manuscript: all authors. Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: all authors. Statistical analysis: M.P. and M.M.P. Obtained funding: no funding obtained. Administrative, technical, or material support: R.T.C. Study supervision: R.T.C.

Publication History

Article published online:
24 December 2020

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