Varicocele on YouTube: an evaluation of reliability, quality and actionability of the most-viewed videos

Varicocele en YouTube: una evaluación de la fiabilidad, calidad y aplicabili-dad de los vídeos más vistos

Background: Varicocele is a common cause of male infertility, and many patients seek information about it online. YouTube has become a widely used platform for medical education, but concerns persist regarding the accuracy and quality of its content. Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated the 50 most-viewed English-language YouTube videos related to varicocele. Videos were assessed using four validated tools: DISCERN, the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials (PEMAT A/V), Global Quality Score (GQS), and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria. Additionally, the accuracy of the medical content was rated using a 5-point Likert scale based on the European Association of Urology’s patient guidelines. Results: The 50 videos accumulated 15,706,250 views, with the top 10 accounting for 73% of the total view count. The average information level was intermediate (Likert score: 2 ± 1.19). Surgical treatment was the most commonly presented option (76%), followed by traditional medicine (18%). Videos with higher information quality were significantly longer (p = 0.049) and had higher DISCERN, GQS, JAMA and PEMAT scores (p < 0.05). The strongest correlation was found between information quality and PEMAT-Understandability (r2 = 0.687, p < 0.001). Although the top 10 videos had higher view counts, they did not differ significantly in quality, except for a higher PEMAT-Actionability score (p = 0.024). Conclusions: Most highly viewed YouTube videos on varicocele offer only moderate-quality information. Popularity does not equate to educational value. There is a need for healthcare professionals to produce and promote accurate, actionable and high-quality online educational materials for patients.

Resumen

Antecedentes: El varicocele es una causa frecuente de infertilidad masculina, y muchos pacientes buscan información sobre esta afección en línea. YouTube se ha convertido en una plataforma ampliamente utilizada para la educación médica, pero persisten preocupaciones sobre la precisión y calidad de su contenido. Métodos: Este estudio transversal evaluó los 50 vídeos en inglés más vistos en YouTube relacionados con el varicocele. Los vídeos fueron analizados utilizando cuatro herramientas validadas: DISCERN, la Herramienta de Evaluación de Materiales Educativos para Pacientes en Formato Audiovisual (PEMAT A/V), la Puntuación Global de Calidad (GQS) y los criterios de referencia de Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Además, se evaluó la exactitud del contenido médico mediante una escala Likert de 5 puntos, basada en las guías para pacientes de la Asociación Europea de Urología. Resultados: Los 50 vídeos acumularon un total de 15,706,250 visualizaciones, y los 10 más vistos representaron el 73% del total. El nivel promedio de información fue intermedio (puntuación Likert: 2 ± 1.19). El tratamiento quirúrgico fue la opción más comúnmente presentada (76%), seguido de la medicina tradicional (18%). Los vídeos con mayor calidad informativa fueron significativamente más largos (p = 0.049) y obtuvieron puntuaciones más altas en DISCERN, GQS, JAMA y PEMAT (p < 0.05). La correlación más fuerte se encontró entre la calidad de la información y la comprensibilidad del PEMAT (r2 = 0.687, p < 0.001). Aunque los 10 vídeos más populares tuvieron un mayor número de visualizaciones, no presentaron una calidad significativamente superior, salvo por una puntuación más alta en la aplicabilidad según PEMAT (p = 0.024). Conclusiones: La mayoría de los vídeos más vistos en YouTube sobre varicocele ofrecen información de calidad moderada. La popularidad no garantiza valor educativo. Es necesario que los profesionales de la salud produzcan y promuevan materiales educativos en línea que sean precisos, aplicables y de alta calidad para los pacientes.

Varicocele; Patient education; Videos; Internet; Quality of health care

Palabras Clave

Varicocele; Educación del paciente; Videos; Internet; Calidad de la atención en salud

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