Evaluation of YouTube videos as a source of information on facial paralysis exercises

BackgroundYouTube has emerged as an important source for obtaining information regarding health issues.ObjectiveThe study aimed to assess the reliability and quality of facial paralysis exercise videos that are accessible on the YouTube platform.MethodsThe investigation was carried out on Youtube, utilizing the keyword "facial paralysis exercises". We listed the first 100 videos based on relevancy. The quality and reliability of the videos were assessed using DISCERN, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Benchmark Criteria, the Global Quality Scale (GQS), and the Video Power Index (VPI).ResultsOut of 100 studies, we excluded 52 and included the remaining 48. The scores we obtained for the videos were as follows: DISCERN Quality (2.92±0.91), DISCERN Total (39.16±6.75), JAMA (2.09±0.55), and GQS (3.00±0.89). Our study also revealed that videos uploaded by healthcare professionals had significantly higher DISCERN total, JAMA and VPI scores compared to those uploaded by non-healthcare professionals (p = 0.018, 0.001 and 0.023, respectively). Additionally, we observed a positive and statistically significant correlation between the DISCERN quality score, total score, JAMA, and video features.ConclusionThe facial paralysis exercise videos were determined to be of medium to low quality. Higher-quality videos need to be produced.