YouTube and UTIs: What Is Online Video Content Teaching Our Patients?

YouTube is an important source of information about urinary tract infections (UTIs), which are the most common outpatient infections.

This study aimed to assess the quality of YouTube videos about UTI prevention.

Three doctors independently reviewed the first 50 YouTube search results for "how to prevent UTIs," using the DISCERN and Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT); SPSSv28 was used for analysis with P  < 0.05 considered significant.

Three non-English videos were excluded. Sixteen of 47 (34%) were produced by medical sources. Forty-three of 47 (91%) were targeted at patients, rather than clinicians. The median views per video was 24,110 (88-5,552,204). Nonmedical sources ranked higher in search results (rs = 0.41, P  < 0.05). Nonmedical sources had more subscribers and views. Nonmedical sources were "liked" significantly more than nonmedical sources ( U  = 146, P  < 0.05). The overall quality of evidence-based material was moderate (mean DISCERN, 3.1). Medical sources were significantly more accurate than nonmedical sources (DISCERN, 3.6 cf. 2.9; P  = 0.03). The overall mean PEMAT understandability was 62.8%, and actionability was 65.7%, with no significant difference between medical and nonmedical sources. The video view count was not associated with significantly higher PEMAT or DISCERN scores.

Videos by medical sources were more factually reliable, but there was no difference in delivery quality between medical and nonmedical sources. Patients may present with inaccurate preconceptions about UTI treatment from YouTube, which practitioners should be prepared to address. There is a role for medical institutions and all doctors who treat patients for UTIs to create YouTube content that is both factually accurate and accessible to patients.