Assessing the Quality of Vision Therapy Content on TikTok for Pediatric Visual and Learning Disorders

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Optometry
• Health Communication
• Social Media Analysis

Background:

• Social media platforms are increasingly influential in shaping health decisions.
• Concerns exist regarding the accuracy and origin of health information shared online.
• Pediatric visual and learning disorders are a growing area of public health interest.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the quality and source of online health information regarding vision therapy.
• To analyze content related to the treatment of pediatric visual and learning disorders on social media.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 147 popular videos across nine hashtags related to vision therapy.
• Content assessment using DISCERN and Global Quality Scoring (GQS) systems.
• Identification of content creators, including behavioral optometrists and vision therapy clinics.

Main Results:

• Vision therapy content was predominantly created by behavioral optometrists (32.2%) and clinics (21.2%).
• The analyzed social media content scored poorly on both DISCERN and GQS, indicating widespread misinformation.
• Misinformation poses a risk of delaying evidence-based care for pediatric visual and learning disorders.

Conclusions:

• There is a significant prevalence of inaccurate health information concerning vision therapy on social media.
• Increased engagement from ophthalmologists and medical professionals is crucial to provide accurate, research-backed information.
• Future research should expand to multiple platforms to better understand online health misinformation.