YouTube as an Information Source for Lumbar Disc Herniations: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Digital Health
• Patient Education

Background:

• The internet is a primary source of health information for patients.
• The quality of online health information is highly variable and often unregulated.
• Understanding the quality of readily available patient information is crucial for healthcare providers.

Approach:

• A systematic review evaluated YouTube videos on lumbar disc herniation (LDH).
• Videos were searched using three distinct terms: "disc herniation", "lumbar disc herniation", and "lower back disc herniation".
• The top 50 videos per search term were assessed for diagnostic and treatment information quality by two independent reviewers.

Key Points:

• Physician-created educational videos demonstrated significantly higher diagnostic and treatment scores compared to non-physician content.
• A high degree of agreement was observed between reviewers for both diagnostic and treatment scoring (ICC > 0.9).
• The study analyzed video duration, upload date, views, likes, and engagement metrics.

Conclusions:

• YouTube videos concerning lumbar disc herniation (LDH) generally exhibit low quality.
• Healthcare professionals should be aware of the information patients access online, as it can shape their expectations and understanding.
• This highlights the importance of guiding patients toward reliable health information sources.