MedTok or MythTok? Classifying Health Misinformation on TikTok with AI.

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Medical Misinformation
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Background:

• Social media platforms like TikTok are primary sources of health information for younger demographics.
• The lack of regulation on social media health content poses risks of medical misinformation.
• Diabetic foot care is a critical area where accurate information is essential to prevent severe complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the clinical accuracy of TikTok videos concerning diabetic foot care.
• To identify the prevalence and nature of medical misinformation in this context.
• To assess the alignment of TikTok content with established clinical guidelines.

Main Methods:

• An AI-assisted framework was employed to analyze 619 TikTok transcripts on diabetic foot care.
• Content accuracy was benchmarked against guidelines from the American Diabetes Association (ADA), International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF), and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).
• Semantic analysis was used to understand thematic focus and information gaps.

Main Results:

• Over 42% of analyzed TikTok transcripts contained misleading or false claims regarding diabetic foot care.
• Some videos presented partially accurate information, but significant portions included advice that could be detrimental.
• Semantic analysis revealed an overemphasis on complications like amputation, with insufficient focus on prevention and early intervention.

Conclusions:

• A substantial portion of TikTok content on diabetic foot care is clinically inaccurate, posing risks to patient health.
• There is a critical need for improved digital health literacy and responsible content creation on social media.
• Addressing medical misinformation in online health education is paramount for ensuring positive patient outcomes.