Clickbait or Truth? Analyzing the Relationship between misinformation and engagement on TikTok regarding epilepsy...

Our study evaluated the accuracy of information about the treatment of epilepsy on TikTok and quantified the relationships between user engagement and factors related to video content and creators.

Videos from TikTok were identified using the search keywords "epilepsy treatment" and "seizure treatment." The first 400 eligible English-language videos focused on seizure and epilepsy treatment were evaluated using a structured accuracy grading framework by three independent physician reviewers. Content creator credentials and video topics were classified, and the numbers of views, likes, and days on TikTok were recorded. Reviewer disagreements were resolved by consensus discussion.

Physicians and other traditional healthcare workers were more likely to post evidence-based content, whereas alternative medicine specialists were more likely to post inaccurate content. Influencers shared a mix of accurate and inaccurate content. Inaccurate content achieved more raw views and likes than accurate content. After adjusting for confounders, we did not find that misinformation was more likely to be consumed. The content of traditional medicine users was more widely viewed, while the content of influencers was more often liked. Overall, fewer than half of analyzed videos were fully accurate, with a substantial proportion containing misinformation, indicating variable reliability of epilepsy treatment information on TikTok.

Factors related to the content creator were stronger predictors of user engagement than the accuracy of content. Physicians who are active on social media may combat misinformation by optimizing their own user engagement. We urge physicians to stay informed about social media content related to epilepsy.