Evaluation of video content quality on PCSK9 inhibitors in social media

The internet is a major source of health information, with platforms like YouTube® and Facebook® widely used by patients to learn about diseases and treatments. However, the reliability of content on PCSK9 inhibitors (PCSK9i), a therapy for dyslipidemia, remains unknown. This study aims to evaluate the general characteristics, user engagement metrics, reliability, comprehensiveness, and quality of English- and Spanish-language PCSK9i videos on YouTube® and Facebook®.

Analytical observational study. Paired evaluations were conducted using validated tools: the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) for reliability, a modified content score for comprehensiveness, and the Global Quality Score (GQS) for quality. Comparisons were made based on platform, source, and language.

A total of 203 videos were analyzed. YouTube® videos had significantly higher median views, longer duration, and greater engagement than Facebook® videos, while Facebook® contained a higher proportion of non-valuable content (19.6% vs. 3.2%, p<0.001). Most videos targeted patients and healthcare professionals, with professional organizations and independent users as the primary contributors. YouTube® videos were more frequently rated as "good or better" based on mDISCERN, content score, and GQS. Notably, for-profit organizations achieved the highest content scores and GQS values. Inter-rater reliability was excellent across all scoring tools, with kappa coefficients exceeding 0.89.

YouTube® videos on PCSK9i had higher engagement and reliability than those on Facebook®. For-profit organizations produced the most reliable and exhaustive videos. However, overall quality remains suboptimal, underscoring the need for greater oversight and effective strategies to ensure the dissemination of accurate, high-quality information.