Quality Assessment of Videos about Radiotherapy-Related Oral Mucositis on YouTube in Brazil

This cross-sectional study evaluated the quality of information on radiotherapy-related oral mucositis (OM) available on the YouTube platform in Brazil. The first 200 videos retrieved using the keywords "boca ferida radioterapia" were analyzed, excluding those shorter than 1 min, longer than 15 min, or unrelated to the topic. Technical data was collected, and six variables were assessed: definitions of head and neck cancer, radiotherapy, and OM; along with OM frequency, symptoms, and prevention/treatment options. Videos were categorized as 'poor' (score 1-2 on ≥ 1 variable), 'average' (score 3 on all variables), or 'good' (score 4-5 on ≥ 1 variable with no scores 1 or 2). Of the 104 videos analyzed, 51.0% were produced by doctors and 85.6% were aimed at the lay public. Most videos lasted 1-9 min (87.5%), with 10,001-100,000 views (32.0%), ≤ 1,000 likes (54.4%), and ≤ 100 comments (66.3%). Overall, 10.6% (n = 11) were classified as 'poor' due to the presence of misinformation. An additional 32.7% (n = 34) were rated 'average' for failing to address any of the assessed variables. The majority, 56.7% (n = 59), were rated 'good' as they provided at least one accurate and comprehensive information and contained no misinformation. While few videos on radiotherapy-related OM in Brazil presented incorrect information, a significant number were incomplete. This highlights an opportunity to improve the content to provide the public with more comprehensive information.