Quality, reliability, and content analysis of YouTube videos on transperineal prostate biopsy

To systematically assess the quality, reliability, and content attributes of YouTube videos pertaining to transperineal prostate biopsy (TPB), an innovative method for diagnosing prostate cancer.

A systematic search was performed on YouTube on May 18, 2025, using the terms "transperineal prostate biopsy," "TP biopsy," and "perineal prostate needle biopsy." The search was conducted in incognito mode to reduce personalized bias. Videos in the English language uploaded from April 2019 to April 2025 were included. Videos that were duplicate, irrelevant, non-English, or lacking of sound were eliminated. Sixty movies, organized by relevance, were reviewed, resulting in 50 videos that satisfied the inclusion criteria for analysis. Two senior urologists independently evaluated each video using the Global Quality Scale (GQS) and the modified mDISCERN (mDISCERN) tool to measure reliability and quality. Video metadata, including time, views, likes, upload date, and creator category (academic professional, non-academic professional, patient, medical company, or others), was documented.

The average duration of videos was nearly 7 min, with an average of 8950 views per video. Healthcare workers created 60% of the videos, whereas 10% included advertising material. The predominant subjects addressed were procedural methodologies, anesthesia, and a comparative analysis of infection risk associated with the transrectal technique. The average GQS score was 2.96 ± 0.77, indicating moderate quality, whereas the average mDISCERN score was 2.1 ± 0.9, suggesting low to moderate reliability. Several videos referenced peer-reviewed literature, while numerous others displayed commercial bias. Inter-rater reliability was significant, with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.893 for GQS and 0.861 for mDISCERN.

YouTube videos related to TPB show significant range in quality and reliability. Despite being created by healthcare experts, the absence of peer-reviewed references and the prevalence of promotional bias reduce their educational value. There is an immediate necessity for standardized, evidence-based, and unbiased educational resources to enhance patient understanding and help with informed decision-making in prostate cancer diagnosis.