BACKGROUND
Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a debilitating condition that can lead to chronic pain, joint destruction, and disability. YouTube has become a popular platform for people to seek and share health-related content, but the lack of regulation and oversight has raised concerns about the accuracy and reliability of the information presented.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the content on YouTube related to ONFH.
METHODS
The videos were assessed for quality using internationally recognized medical information evaluation scores, including the DISCERN score, the Journal of the American Medical Association score (JAMA score), and the Global Quality Scale score (GQS). The completeness of each video content was evaluated based on a content score, which is adapted from clinical practice guidelines.
RESULTS
A total of 68 videos met eligibility criteria. According to the DISCERN score, 41 (60.3%) videos were classified as very poor to poor. The average DISCERN score, JAMA score, GQS, and content score of the included videos were 36 (SD, 9.38), 1.97 (SD, 0.8), 2.09 (SD, 0.95), and 4.62 (SD, 3.47), respectively. The results showed no significant differences in the basic video characteristics, such as duration, likes, dislikes and comments for videos from various sources. Videos uploaded by foundation/medical organizations obtained the highest scores on all four scales (P＜0.001). The correlation analysis showed that DISCERN score was significantly and positively correlated with JAMA score, GQS, and content score, demonstrating the reliability of the assessment results.
CONCLUSIONS
Our study highlighted that the overall quality of YouTube videos pertaining to ONFH is poor, with many lacking in accuracy, clarity, and usefulness. However, videos uploaded by foundation/medical organizations consistently demonstrated high-quality standards. Much work needs to be done to ensure that patients have access to accurate and informative information about ONFH, leading to improved disease management and health literacy.