The Role of YouTube in Laryngeal Anatomy Learning: A Content Analysis

As one of the most popular platforms for web-based technologies, YouTube™ serves as a medium for presenting new learning models. Our aim was to investigate the content, accuracy, and reliability of videos related to laryngeal anatomy on this platform. Assessing the videos will reveal the gaps that can be considered in the preparation of future video contents about larynx anatomy and provide a framework to produce better anatomical content about the larynx in the future.

Using the search engine of the platform, we searched for relevant videos using various keywords. Videos that were considered irrelevant and therefore excluded were those that were non-English, had no sound, showed animal tissue, were duplications, <1 minute long, and focused only on physiology. Anatomical Content Score (ACS), General Quality Score (GeQS), and Global Quality Score (GQS) were used to evaluate the videos.

Fifty videos were included in the evaluation. Lectures made up 32% of the videos, whereas 12% with animations, 32% anatomical models, 8% 3D anatomical illustrations, and 12% specimens. According to the ACS criteria, 52% of the videos succeeded in attaining the pass mark score and 88% of them were reported as useful based on GeQS. Videos that meet ACS criteria also pass the GQS. However, the GeQS is high for videos that either meet or fail to meet the ACS criteria. Significantly strong correlations were observed between GeQS and GQS (r = 0.790) and between total duration and efficiency (r = -0.801). Significant moderate correlations were found between GQS and ACS (r = 0.595).

Our results showed that YouTube™ could not be accepted as a fully sufficient source regarding larynx anatomy, and the videos with sufficient technical features may not contain highly useful anatomical content.