Episiotomy on TikTok: Assessing Misinformation and Information Quality Shared on a Popular Social Media Platform

Episiotomy is among the most performed obstetrical procedure globally. While restrictive episiotomy is recommended, patients may be reluctant to consent. TikTok, a rapidly growing video platform, is a popular patient resource to obtain health information on episiotomy. This study aimed to evaluate the information quality and degree of misinformation contained in TikTok videos about episiotomy and examine the relationship between user engagement and misinformation.

In this cross-sectional study, we identified the top videos with keyword "episiotomy" on the Canadian TikTok app. Three reviewers scored videos using the DISCERN instrument for health information quality and a 5-point Likert scale for misinformation. We evaluated correlation between user engagement and misinformation and narrator credentials and misinformation using the Pearson correlation coefficient.

Forty-seven videos met the inclusion criteria. The median video length was 57 s (IQR 15-89). Most videos were oriented towards education (59.6%) and narrated by healthcare providers (36.2%) or patients (25.5%). Many videos (71.74%) contained low quality information (DISCERN score < 3), and 36.17% of videos contained misinformation (misinformation rating Likert score > 3). There was no significant correlation between engagement and misinformation (r = 0.06, p = 0.68) nor between narrator credentials and misinformation (r = 0.17, p = 0.29).

Low-quality health information and misinformation about episiotomy are prevalent on TikTok. Neither user engagement nor narrator credentials showed a significant correlation with misinformation. Patient education about potential misinformation on these platforms and development of evidence-based resources about episiotomy are essential to support informed decision-making.