Quality and Content Analysis of Carpal Tunnel Videos on YouTube

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a disease that reduces the quality of life, and it is characterized by numbness, tingling in the fingers, and weakness in the hand, which we frequently encounter in our daily clinical practice. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the videos in terms of quality and reliability by watching the first 50 YouTube videos most relevant to the carpal tunnel in the YouTube video channel, which is often the first reference point as a source of information.

Among the videos that appear after typing "carpal tunnel" in the search tab of the YouTube, we eliminated those with advertisements and those that are not in English and evaluated the top 50 most relevant videos about the carpal tunnel. A specific YouTube channel was not selected during the search; however, the most relevant videos on carpal tunnel syndrome were determined. The duration, the number of views, the number of likes, dislike numbers, upload times, and upload sources of the videos were recorded and evaluated. The content, quality, and reliability of the videos were evaluated according to the GQS, JAMA, and DISCERN scales.

The average length of the 50 videos included in the study was 315.18, the average number of views was 150,977.4, and the average number of likes was 1410.86. The average number of days when the videos were uploaded to the internet was calculated as 1259.62 days. The GQS average of 50 videos included in the study was calculated as 2.7, the JAMA score average as 2.14 and the DISCERN score average as 33.62, and the video quality, content, and reliability were low. There was no statistically significant relationship between uploading sources of videos to the internet and video content, quality, and reliability (p > 0.05). The number of views, the number of days uploaded to the internet, the number of views, the number of likes and dislikes, like rates, and the video power index of the videos showed no statistically significant relationship with JAMA, DISCERN, and GQS.

Social media is one of the easiest methods to access information today. The high number of contents, quality, and reliability of social media videos are crucial for patients to obtain accurate information, gain awareness about diseases, and receive guidance on treatment. This study found out that the quality, content, and reliability of the existing videos on the carpal tunnel were at a low level. We propose that the videos' content and quality should be improved and become more beneficial for patients.