Abstract
Background The internet is an increasingly utilised resource for accessing information regarding a variety of heath conditions. YouTube is a popular video sharing platform used to both seek and distribute information online.
Materials & Methods
A search for ‘scoliosis’ was carried out using YouTube's search engine and data was collected on the first fifty videos returned. A JAMA score (to determine currency, authorship, source and disclosure) and scoliosis specific score (that measures the amount of information on the diagnosis and treatment options as devised by Mathur et al in 2005; scored 0–32) was recorded for each video to measure quality objectively. Additionally the number of views, number of comments and feedback positivity was documented for each. Data analysis was conducted using R 3.1.4/R Studio 0.98 with control for the age of each video in analysis models.
Results
The average number of views per video was 71,152 with an average length of 7 minutes 32 seconds. Thirty six percent of the videos fell under the authorship category of personal experience. The average JAMA score was 1.32/4 and average scoliosis specific score was 5.38/32. There was a positive correlation between JAMA score and number of views P=0.003. However in contrast there was a negative correlation between scoliosis specific score and number of views P=0.01.
Conclusions
Online health information has historically been poor and our study shows that in an environment like YouTube which lacks a peer review process, the quality of scoliosis information is low. Further work is needed to determine whether accessing information on YouTube can play a role in patient care other than simple education pertaining to the disease and its management.
Level of Evidence
Health Services Study Level 3
