Quality of Information for Post-Prostatectomy Incontinence Treatments on YouTube

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Medical Education
• Digital Health

Background:

• Post-prostatectomy incontinence is a common complication following radical prostatectomy.
• Current guidelines recommend male slings or artificial urinary sphincters for treatment.
• Effective patient education is crucial for managing expectations and improving satisfaction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the quality of information on YouTube concerning treatments for post-prostatectomy incontinence.
• To assess the adherence of YouTube video content to established medical guidelines and patient education principles.

Main Methods:

• A systematic search of YouTube identified 100 relevant videos for "post-prostatectomy incontinence" and "male stress incontinence."
• Videos were assessed using the DISCERN instrument, Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials (PEMAT), and a misinformation Likert scale.
• Data analysis involved multivariate linear regression, with inter-rater reliability assessed using Cohen's kappa.

Main Results:

• The median DISCERN score was 2.5, with 71% of videos scoring 3 or less, indicating moderate to low quality.
• Median PEMAT scores for actionability and understandability were 64.6 and 79.9, respectively.
• Less than half of the videos discussed realistic treatment outcomes (39%) or risks (24%), and lower actionability/risk discussion correlated with lower DISCERN scores.

Conclusions:

• Most YouTube videos on post-prostatectomy incontinence provide moderate to low-quality information, despite being published by medical professionals.
• A significant deficiency exists in discussing realistic outcomes and potential risks, which are essential for informed decision-making.
• There is a clear need for the urologic community to develop high-quality educational materials to support shared decision-making for patients experiencing post-prostatectomy incontinence.