YouTube as a source of patient information on external cephalic version

To assess the quality and content of information regarding external cephalic version on YouTube.

YouTube was searched using the phrase "external cephalic version" (ECV) to identify informative videos by two independent reviewers. Videos were included if: (1) in English; (2) available November 20, 2021; (3) related to ECV. Videos were excluded if: (1) duration exceeded 15 min; (2) target audience was not patients or the general public; (3) not in English; (4) were advertisements or news clips; (5) did not relate to ECV. The Global Quality Scale was used to assess overall quality of selected videos. A content score was developed based on guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Video quality was also categorized as "slightly useful", "useful" and "very useful". The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) for audiovisual materials was used to score understandability and actionability.

Of 60 videos screened, 31 met inclusion criteria. They were classified as People or Blogs (n=19, 61%) or Education (n=12, 39%). Videos were calculated to be "slightly useful" (n=10, 32%), "useful" (n=18, 58%), or "very useful" (n = 3, 10%). The PEMAT - understandability was less in the "slightly useful" compared to the combined "useful" and "very useful" groups, p<0.01. No differences existed between total usefulness score and category, p=0.6.

Most videos were useful, but few were very useful. These results highlight the importance of thorough counseling regarding this procedure.