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YouTube as a source of recognizing acute stroke; progress in 2 years
1Department of Neurology, Bakirkoy Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatric, Neurologic and Neurosurgical Diseases, Istanbul Health Sciences University, Istanbul, Turkey. zynp.ozdemir@hotmail.com.
BMC Public Health
|August 13, 2024
Summary
YouTube videos offer improving but limited usefulness for recognizing acute ischemic stroke. While educational content grows, BE-FAST mnemonic awareness remains low among users seeking stroke information.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Medical Education
- Digital Health
Background:
- YouTube is a major global platform for information dissemination, reaching over 2 billion users.
- Acute ischemic stroke detection is crucial for timely intervention, with mnemonics like BE-FAST aiding recognition.
- Assessing the utility of online health information is vital for patient empowerment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the usefulness of YouTube video content for patients in identifying acute ischemic stroke.
- To track the prevalence of stroke recognition mnemonics (FAST and BE-FAST) in educational videos over time.
Main Methods:
- Searched YouTube for stroke-related terms in November 2021 and May 2023.
- Two neurologists assessed video quality using the Global Quality Scale (GQS).
- Analyzed video content for mentions of FAST and BE-FAST mnemonics and related stroke information.
Main Results:
- The prevalence of BE-FAST mentions increased from 4.4% in 2021 to 10.6% in 2023, while FAST mentions remained stable around 33-34%.
- The average video quality (GQS) was around 3.0 points, with over 50% of videos rated as high quality (≥3.5).
- Videos discussing specific symptoms (balance, eyes, face, arms, speech, time), radiology, treatment, and mnemonics like FAST/BE-FAST scored significantly higher.
Conclusions:
- YouTube provides improving but currently insufficient information for patients to self-diagnose acute ischemic stroke.
- Increased awareness and inclusion of the BE-FAST mnemonic in online content are needed.
- While video quality is generally good, the practical utility for acute stroke recognition requires enhancement.
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