YouTubeTM as an Information Source for Regenerative Endodontic Treatment Procedures: Quality and Content Analysis

Reliability of information in YouTube™ videos on types of root resorption and related stimulating factors

BACKGROUND/AIM

Root resorption occurs for various reasons and can also be seen as a treatment complication in orthodontics. This study aimed to assess the reliability and quality of YouTube™ videos on root resorption and to assess whether the videos referred to orthodontic treatment and other stimulation factors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

YouTube was searched using the keyword 'root resorption', which is the most searched term on Google Trends. The first 200 videos identified using the default filter 'sort by relevance' were used. Information such as the source, type, duration, and number of likes were recorded. Videos were analyzed using a 23-point content scale related to root resorption and divided into groups (poor, moderate, and excellent) based on the Global Quality Score.

RESULTS

A total of 95 videos were included in the study. Most were uploaded by dentists or dental clinics (n = 64, 67.4%). The mean number of days since upload was 1536 ± 1254, and the mean duration was 5 ± 4 min. The videos had a mean of 80 ± 515 likes and 7043 ± 35,382 views, and a mean viewing rate of 1131.71 ± 8736.83. The most discussed topic was radiographic signs of root resorption. While the highest content score for the videos was 21, the average score was only 4. The mean GQS was 2 ± 1. Grouping videos by GQS showed that 55 (57.9%) were poor, 38 (40%) were moderate, and 2 (2.1%) were excellent. There was a significant relationship between videos that mentioned orthodontics (n = 62; 65.3%) and higher GQS (p = .036), and a significant difference was between GQS groups for total content levels (p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

YouTube videos related to root resorption lack sufficient information and clarity, and their quality needs to be improved. Oral health professionals should strive to produce higher-quality videos.

Is it safe to learn about vital pulp capping from YouTube™ videos? A content and quality analysis

AIM

To evaluate YouTube videos on vital pulp capping (VPC) for content, quality, source, usefulness, and reliability.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study assessed 249 English-language videos on vital pulp therapy using the Total Content Score (TCS), Video Information and Quality Index (VIQI), Global Quality Scale (GQS), Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) score and modified DISCERN score. Videos were categorized based on communication quality, duration, likes and dislikes, views, source, and video type. Of the videos analyzed, 22.1% met the inclusion criteria. Data were analyzed using Shapiro-Wilk, Kruskal-Wallis, and post hoc Bonferroni tests. Sperman's correlation, Kendal tau tests for correlations, and Fisher's exact test were used to assess associations between categorical variables.

RESULTS

The study identified significant correlations between various parameters. A higher TCS was correlated with increased VIQI (p = 0.005) and GQS scores (r = 0.685, p < 0.05). A moderate positive correlation was found between GQS scores and TCSs (r = 0.577, p < 0.05). VIQI scores were significantly and positively correlated with TCS (r = 0.573, p < 0.05) and comment count (r = 0.306, p < 0.05). JAMA scores were positively correlated with upload time (r = 0.304, p < 0.05), comment count (r = 0.337, p < 0.05), and likes (r = 0.301, p = 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

YouTube videos provided low-to-average quality VPC information and tended to be inaccurate. Therefore, public videos may be incorrect, incomplete, and low-quality. Clinicians and patients should seek reliable information from specialists.

Evaluation of the reliability and accuracy of YouTube™ and TikTok™ contents about storage media for avulsed teeth: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The preservation of avulsed teeth is critical in dental trauma management, necessitating effective storage media to ensure viable tooth reimplantation. The urgent need for accurate information has led both professional and non-professional individuals to increasingly seek guidance from video-sharing platforms such as YouTube™ and TikTok™. These platforms have become key resources for advice on such dental emergencies, but the reliability and accuracy of this information have not yet been systematically evaluated. This study aimed to assess the quality, accuracy, and reliability YouTube™ and TikTok™ of videos regarding storage solutions for avulsion injuries.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A search was conducted on YouTube™ and TikTok™ on February 4th, 2023, using terms related to traumatic dental injuries, and 53 videos were included. Video demographics such as platform, duration, type, upload date, likes, and comments were recorded. Video content quality, reliability, and accuracy were measured using the Global Quality Scale (GQS), Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks, and Video Information and Quality Index (VIQI). Research data were analyzed using SPSS IBM 24.0 at a 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS

In total, 53 videos were examined. The average scores were JAMA: 1.70/4.00, modified DISCERN: 54.3/80.00, GQS: 3.88/5.00, and VIQI: 13.8/20.00. According to the modified DISCERN index, there were no "very poor" or "poor" quality videos, 49.05% were "moderate," 22.6% were "good," and 28.3% were "very good." No difference was found between YouTube™ and TikTok™ videos in terms of the modified DISCERN index, JAMA scores, GQS, and VIQI scoring (p > .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Traumatic dental injuries are a common problem among children, and evaluating the reliability of available contents is becoming crucial for appropriate intervention. The study reveals that despite being sourced mainly from dental professionals, the overall quality of videos on avulsed tooth management was mediocre, underscoring the risks associated with misleading or incomplete information in such critical situations.

A sustainable, self-sufficient peer review algorithm for health-related YouTube videos: A proposal

YouTube has recently become one of the major sources of information in the field of health. Not only healthcare professionals but also laypersons can upload videos to YouTube and this fact creates a significant heterogeneity in the content, viewpoint, and accuracy of the available videos. Particularly, those videos presenting personal experiences and inferences on health problems may not rely on scientific evidence thus create inaccurate information. This commentary aims to propose an algorithm to improve the accuracy and reliability of health-related YouTube videos.

YouTube as an information source for bleeding gums: A quantitative and qualitative analysis

Gum bleeding is a common dental problem, and numerous patients seek health-related information on this topic online. The YouTube website is a popular resource for people searching for medical information. To our knowledge, no recent study has evaluated content related to bleeding gums on YouTube™. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a quantitative and qualitative analysis of YouTube videos related to bleeding gums. A search was performed on YouTube using the keyword "bleeding gums" from Google Trends. Of the first 200 results, 107 videos met the inclusion criteria. The descriptive statistics for the videos included the time since upload, the video length, and the number of likes, views, comments, subscribers, and viewing rates. The global quality score (GQS), usefulness score, and DISCERN were used to evaluate the video quality. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney test, and Spearman correlation analysis. The majority (n = 69, 64.48%) of the videos observed were uploaded by hospitals/clinics and dentists/specialists. The highest coverage was for symptoms (95.33%). Only 14.02% of the videos were classified as "good". The average video length of the videos rated as "good" was significantly longer than the other groups (p <0.05), and the average viewing rate of the videos rated as "poor" (63,943.68%) was substantially higher than the other groups (p <0.05). YouTube videos on bleeding gums were of moderate quality, but their content was incomplete and unreliable. Incorrect and inadequate content can significantly influence patients' attitudes and medical decisions. Effort needs to be expended by dental professionals, organizations, and the YouTube platform to ensure that YouTube can serve as a reliable source of information on bleeding gums.

Internet and social media preferences of orthopaedic patients vary according to factors such as age and education levels

BACKGROUND

Patients can often access the internet and social media for health information but it is not clear how much they trust and use the information retrieved.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the social media and internet use rates and preferences of orthopaedic patients, to reveal to what extent they self-treat, and to probe the affecting factors.

METHODS

Two thousand fifty-eight patients admitted to an orthopaedic polyclinic were asked to fill out a survey (voluntarily) consisting of 15 items, to collect demographic data, preference for platforms and sources used, trusted sources, and the extent to which information obtained was used for self-care.

RESULTS

The most preferred and most trusted sources of information were Google and other search engines, and physicians' personal websites (p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION

Variables such as age, gender, educational level and occupation affect the research preferences. Reliance on social media decreases with increasing educational levels (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Health information and knowledge services should work with health professionals to improve aspects of health literacy among orthopaedic patients.

YouTube as a source of information about rubber dam: quality and content analysis

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the content, quality and demographics of YouTube videos about rubber dam as an information source for clinicians and dental students.

Materials and Methods

"Rubber dam," "rubber dam application," "dental isolation," "rubber dam isolation," and "dental dam" were determined as keywords for the detection of YouTube videos related to rubber dam. Seventy 3 videos were evaluated and a total of 34 videos met the inclusion criteria. All selected videos were evaluated according to 8 parameters. The videos were scored 1 if the videos contained information about the selected parameter, but if the videos did not contain enough information, they were scored 0. The data were statistically analyzed with the analysis of variance and post hoc Tukey test (p < 0.05).

Results

We found that 41% of the videos have poor, 47% have moderate, and 12% have good information. There is a statistically significant difference in time between poor and good information content (p < 0.05). There is a statistically significant difference between the poor and good information in the video information and quality index 1.

Conclusions

Rubber dam-related videos available on YouTube are generally moderately informed and insufficient. YouTube is currently not sufficient as a source of information for patients and clinicians at the moment. The YouTube platform should be developed and enriched with quality information on current and dental issues.

Assessment of the quality of oral biopsy procedure videos shared on YouTube

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the quality of free-to-access videos on oral biopsy procedures on the YouTube platform.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a search on YouTube using the term "oral biopsy" and selected the first 100 videos in order of relevance. The following exclusion criteria were applied: language other than English, videos that did not cover oral biopsy techniques, videos on nonhuman specimens, postoperative instructions, personal experiences, exfoliative cytology, or "brush biopsy." Forty-seven selected videos were classified based on their duration, country of origin, date of upload to the system, author, information source and number of views, and likes and dislikes. Video quality was analyzed using DISCERN, the Global Quality Scale (GQS), and the Video Information and Quality Index (VIQI).

RESULTS

The majority (78.7%) of analyzed videos were uploaded by dentists, originating from India (48.9%), with a mean duration of 11.8 min (SD, 20.4), with 104.5 likes (SD, 186.4) and 7.1 dislikes (SD, 10.55). The mean values for DISCERN, GQS, and VIQI were 1.3 (SD, 0.52), 2.1 (SD, 1.04), and 9.62 (SD, 1.69), respectively.

CONCLUSION

The majority of videos on oral biopsy published on YouTube are of low quality.

Quality of online video resources concerning patient education for neck pain: A YouTube-based quality-control study

Background

More than 70 percent of the world's population is tortured with neck pain more than once in their vast life, of which 50-85% recur within 1-5 years of the initial episode. With medical resources affected by the epidemic, more and more people seek health-related knowledge via YouTube. This article aims to assess the quality and reliability of the medical information shared on YouTube regarding neck pain.

Methods

We searched on YouTube using the keyword "neck pain" to include the top 50 videos by relevance, then divided them into five and seven categories based on their content and source. Each video was quantitatively assessed using the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), DISCERN, Global Quality Score (GQS), Neck Pain-Specific Score (NPSS), and video power index (VPI). Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between JAMA, GQS, DISCERN, NPSS and VPI. A multiple linear regression analysis was applied to identify video features affecting JAMA, GQS, DISCERN, and NPSS.

Results

The videos had a mean JAMA score of 2.56 (SD = 0.43), DISCERN of 2.55 (SD = 0.44), GQS of 2.86 (SD = 0.72), and NPSS of 2.90 (SD = 2.23). Classification by video upload source, non-physician videos had the greatest share at 38%, and sorted by video content, exercise training comprised 40% of the videos. Significant differences between the uploading sources were observed for VPI (P = 0.012), JAMA (P < 0.001), DISCERN (P < 0.001), GQS (P = 0.001), and NPSS (P = 0.007). Spearman correlation analysis showed that JAMA, DISCERN, GQS, and NPSS significantly correlated with each other (JAMA vs. DISCERN, p < 0.001, JAMA vs. GQS, p < 0.001, JAMA vs. NPSS, p < 0.001, DISCERN vs. GQS, p < 0.001, DISCERN vs. NPSS, p < 0.001, GQS vs. NPSS, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis suggested that a higher JAMA score, DISCERN, or GQS score were closely related to a higher probability of an academic, physician, non-physician or medical upload source (P < 0.005), and a higher NPSS score was associated with a higher probability of an academic source (P = 0.001) than of an individual upload source.

Conclusions

YouTube videos pertaining to neck pain contain low quality, low reliability, and incomplete information. Patients may be put at risk for health complications due to inaccurate, and incomplete information, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis. Academic groups should be committed to high-quality video production and promotion to YouTube users.

Content Analysis of YouTube Videos on Radiographic Anatomy on Dental Panoramic Images

The radiographic anatomy on dental panoramic images is essential knowledge for proper diagnosis and treatment planning purposes. No prior study has examined the content of YouTube videos with regard to radiographic anatomy on panoramic radiography. The objective of this study was to provide a content analysis on these videos. The initial search string was: (panoramic anatomy). An additional search was performed with the search string: (OPG landmarks). By screening the resultant videos and their related videos (recommended by YouTube as a list on the right of the screen), a total of 62 videos were screened. Videos were excluded if they were irrelevant (e.g., focusing on radiographic errors without covering the anatomy), elaborating mainly with drawings without showing the landmarks on panoramic images, duplicate videos, and non-English speaking. Finally, 38 videos were included and analyzed. Most of them showed clear panoramic images and had clear tracing or delineation of the anatomical landmarks. On average, each video described 26 landmarks, including 12.3 from the midfacial region, 8.2 from the mandible, and 5.2 from soft tissue/air space/others. The videos were of good quality in general, with some frequent shortcomings being lack of visual aid with skull and schematic diagrams, and lack of discussion on clinical relevance. The maxillary sinus was the structure mostly involved in wrong information, particularly the wrong delineation of its posterior wall.

Content Analysis of YouTube Videos That Demonstrate Panoramic Radiography

In this digital era, dental students often search for online resources for self-directed learning. YouTube is one of the most commonly sought online platforms for educational or instructional videos. No prior study has examined the validity of panoramic radiography videos available on YouTube. This study provides a content analysis of these YouTube videos. A search for relevant YouTube videos was conducted in April 2022. The search string was: (panoramic OR pan OR OPG) AND (dental OR dentistry OR X-ray). The first 100 videos that resulted from the search and their related videos were screened. Exclusion criteria included irrelevance (e.g., no demonstration of panoramic radiography procedures) and non-English videos. For each included video, the following parameters were recorded: image receptor type, patient age, patient type (real patient, animation, or phantom head), patient preparation procedures, machine preparation, patient positioning, and operator safety. The number of views, comments, likes, and channel subscribers were recorded, as well as the video duration and the age of the video. Forty videos were included and analyzed. Most of the videos demonstrated digital panoramic radiography with an adult patient. Procedures on the patient and machine preparations as well as patient positioning were generally explained well. However, most videos did not well-demonstrate operator safety details concerning the use of adequate personal protective equipment. View count, comment count, and channel subscriber count positively correlated with the like count. Clinicians and students should carefully critique the content of such instructional videos and refer to the contents from other sources such as user manuals and latest recommendations from local authorities.

Quality Assessment of YouTube Videos as an Information Source for Testicular Torsion

Background

Testicular torsion is an acute scrotal disease requiring urgent management, and the COVID-19 pandemic has been demonstrated to lead to poor outcomes for this disease. Presently, many people tend to seek health information via YouTube. This study aims to quantitatively assess the quality of English YouTube video content as an information source of testicular torsion.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, a search was performed with the search term "testicular torsion" on YouTube, and the first 100 videos listed by relevance were selected for our analysis. Duplicate, non-English, videos without audio and surgical videos were excluded. Video features (duration, number of days online, views, likes, comments), source of the video, and author's country were collected. Each video included in the study was assessed using DISCERN and Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Benchmark Criteria. A correlation analysis was performed considering video features, video source, DISCERN scores and JAMA scores.

Results

A total of 66 videos were included and analyzed. The most common video content was general information, including etiology, symptoms, and treatment. The majority of videos were from education and training websites (30%), physicians (23%), and independent users (21%). The mean DISCERN and JAMA scores were 36.56 and 2.68, respectively. According to DISCERN, the quality of video uploaded by physicians was relatively high (P < 0.001), and the quality of video uploaded by independent users was relatively low (P < 0.001). The JAMA score had no relevance to the video source (P = 0.813). The correlation between the video features, DISCERN and JAMA scores was controversial by different assessment methods.

Conclusions

Despite most of the videos on YouTube being uploaded by medical or education-related authors, the overall quality was poor. The misleading, inaccurate and incomplete information may pose a health risk to the viewers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Much effort needs to be undertaken to improve the quality of health-related videos regarding testicular torsion.