Is YouTube a Reliable Source of Medical Information About Hemophilia?

Abstract

Objective: YouTube videos have an important role in public health. This study aimed to assess the content, quality, and reliability of hemophilia videos on the YouTube platform. Methods: The keywords, namely, hemophilia, hemophilia factor, hemophilia inhibitors, and hemophilia treatment were used to identify videos on YouTube. The Global Quality Scale and the modified DISCERN questionnaire were used to assess the quality and reliability of videos, respectively. The videos were compared based on their quality and uploaders (physician, healthcare organization, company, patient, and independent users). Results: A total of 140 videos were reviewed for the study. There were 65 high, 51 moderate, and 24 low-quality videos. The physicians uploaded more videos and high-quality videos than others, with a few videos uploaded by patients and healthcare organizations. The like ratio was different for high-quality videos (P < .05), other video characteristics were similar (P > .05). The median Global Quality Scale and DISCERN scores of all videos were the same (3 points) and DISCERN scores increased with improved video quality (P < .05). Various significant differences were found in video characteristics between uploader groups (P < .05). The Global Quality Scale score of pysicians was significantly different when compared to other groups (P < .05). The DISCERN scores of physician videos were different compared to the patient and independent users-sourced videos (P=.006 and P=.001) and DISCERN scores of patient videos were also different from those of healthcare organization videos (P=.004). Conclusion: YouTube can be considered as a good source of information on hemophilia for people with hemophilia and may improve their self-management skills.