YouTube videos regarding idiopathic intracranial hypertension have inadequate information

Abstract

Objective: Previous studies have found that videos on the internet and YouTube® contain misleading information on medical topics; however, an assessment of the quality of material regarding idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is lacking.

Methods: The YouTube® video library was analyzed by using the keywords ‘idiopathic intracranial hypertension’ and ‘pseudotumor cerebri’. The video source, duration of the video, and the number of likes, dislikes, and views were recorded. The video power index (VPI) and view ratio were used to define video popularity. The quality of the information was evaluated using the DISCERN score and a specific usefulness score.

Results: A total of 129 videos were identified for analysis. DISCERN scores indicated that nine (7%) videos were excellent, 27 (21%) were good, 20 (15%) were fair, 36 (28%) were poor, and 37 (29%) were very poor with respect to medical information. The source of the video was academic (a university-affiliated source) in 10 (8%) videos, a physician in 32 (24%), a patient in 76 (59%), and by a commercial entity in 11 (9%) videos. DISCERN and usefulness scores were significantly higher in the videos uploaded by academics than the others (P < 0.001). VPI, view ratio and number of likes did not differ significantly by source.

Conclusion: The information for IIH provided on YouTube® is generally of low quality. Only academic- authored videos provided information of sufficient quality.