YouTube Videos on Lateral Epicondylitis Often Lack High-Quality, Reliable Information

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Medical Education
• Digital Health

Background:

• Lateral epicondylitis is a prevalent condition frequently researched by patients online.
• The increasing popularity and volume of YouTube content necessitate an evaluation of its medical information quality.
• Assessing the reliability of online health resources is vital for informed patient decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the quality and reliability of YouTube videos concerning lateral epicondylitis (LE).

Main Methods:

• The top 50 YouTube videos for "lateral epicondylitis" were analyzed.
• Video reliability was assessed using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria, Global Quality Score (GQS), and Lateral Epicondylitis Specific Score (LESS).
• Statistical analyses, including ANOVA and multivariate stepwise regressions, were employed to identify factors influencing video quality and reliability.

Main Results:

• Videos averaged over 300,000 views, with most content (40%) focusing on disease-specific information.
• Mean scores for JAMA criteria, GQS, and LESS were 2.69/4.0, 2.64/5.0, and 4.91/7.0, respectively.
• Academic sources and physician-created content generally scored higher in reliability and quality metrics, while longer video duration correlated with better scores.

Conclusions:

• Despite high viewership, YouTube videos on lateral epicondylitis demonstrate low to moderate information quality and reliability.
• Content creators, source type, and video characteristics significantly impact the assessed quality metrics.
• Ongoing assessment of online health information is essential due to its widespread use by patients.