Quality and impact of youtube for patient education on prostatic artery embolization

To evaluate the quality of YouTube videos on patient education concerning prostatic artery embolization (PAE).

All PAE videos on YouTube were evaluated in December 2023. The quality of the videos was evaluated utilizing the DISCERN Scale Criterion. The popularity and engagement of each video was assessed using the Video Power Index (VPI) and Viewer Impact Score (VIS), respectively. Comparisons of these metrics were conducted and stratified by the video source type including academic institution, interventional radiologist, and patient testimony. Data describing discussion of risks, benefits, and indications were further collected.

Of the 43 videos, video characteristics included duration (mean = 4.6 min), views (mean = 16,885), and likes (mean = 139). The mean DISCERN, VPI, and VIS scores were 47.9, 15.0, and 36.9, respectively. There was no correlation between quality, and popularity (R² = 0.09) or engagement (R² = 0.01). Videos featuring board-certified physicians did not significantly improved DISCERN scores (p = 0.13), VPI (p = 0.15), or VIS (p = 0.39) scores when compared to those without. Content by interventional radiologists demonstrated higher popularity compared to videos featuring other specialties (p = 0.04), but there was no difference in quality (p = 0.18).

Educational videos about PAE on YouTube are of average quality. Clinicians should be aware of the general state of online information concerning PAE and guide patients towards high quality resources.