TikTok videos on hysteroscopy deemed low quality and inaccurate | Image credits: © chathuporn – © chathuporn – stock.adobe.com.
The quality of hysteroscopy videos on TikTok is considered unsatisfactory and misleading, according to a recent study published in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics.1
Experts consider outpatient hysteroscopy to be the best method for treating uterine intracavitary pathologies. Thanks to technological advances, this approach has become minimally invasive and has low complication rates, although some patients may experience pain and poor tolerance during the procedure.2
The discomfort experienced could be influenced by patients' anxiety before a hysteroscopy.1 This finding has led to research into hysteroscopy-related content on video sharing platforms like YouTube, but data related to TikTok, currently one of the most used social media platforms, is still limited.
Researchers conducted a study to evaluate hysteroscopic content on TikTok and identify misinformation. The keyword “hysteroscopy” was used to search for videos on January 13, 2024. Video eligibility criteria include a focus on hysteroscopy and content in English or without audio.
The data extracted included video title, duration, description, upload date, hashtags used, geographic location and engagement metrics. The number of subscribers, country of origin, total number of video contributions and aggregate number of likes of content creators were also identified.
A team consisting of a senior gynecologist and two obstetric residents evaluated the video content. Videos were independently reviewed and scored by team members to avoid bias. An additional gynecologist was consulted in case of discrepancies.
The Educational Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Content (PEMAT A/V) was used to assess the interpretability and practicability of the content, while reliability was analyzed using the modified DISCERN scale (mDISCERN). . The Global Quality Scale (GQS) was used to assess the quality of the video content.
Overall educational quality was quantified by the Video Quality and Information Index (VIQI). Rigorous fact checking was carried out for each video.
In total, 144 videos were analyzed, with a median duration of 51 seconds and a median number of views of 6496. Of these videos, 25.5% came from healthcare professionals and 74.5% were made by patients. All videos targeted a patient audience. Views, shares, and subscribers were significantly higher in provider-generated videos.
Medical educational content was primarily provided by healthcare professionals, while patients tended to discuss their personal experiences. A more neutral tone was also observed in healthcare professional videos compared to patient videos.
43.8% of the content was rated partially accurate and 34.7% was rated minimally informative. Non-health professional content creators produced significantly more inaccurate or uninformative content, at 51.1% compared to 4% for professionals.
The PEMAT A/V intelligibility and practicability scores were 42.9% and 0%, respectively. Content from healthcare professionals had a significantly higher median intelligibility score than patients, at 60% versus 33.3%.
Healthcare providers also generated videos with higher actionability scores, although both groups had a median score of 0. Healthcare professional videos had a median mDISCERN score of 2, compared to 1 for patient videos.
The median VIQI score was 7, indicating low level content. However, this score was significantly higher among healthcare workers, at 11 compared to 5 for patients. GQS scores were also low with a median of 2 for healthcare professional videos compared to 1 for patient videos.
These results show an unreliability of TikTok videos about hysteroscopy. Researchers encouraged content creators on TikTok to provide more reliable and accurate information to their followers.
References
- Giovanni Vitale S, Angioni S, Saponara S, et al. TikTok as a Hysteroscopy Information Platform: A Video-Based Analytical Study to Assess Quality, Reliability, and Accuracy. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2024. doi:10.1002/ijgo.15846
- Cohen N, Nasra LA, Paz M, Kaufman Y, Lavie O, Zilberlicht A. Pain and anxiety management with virtual reality for office hysteroscopy: systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2024;309(4):1127-1134. doi:10.1007/s00404-023-07261-9
In view of these results, it seems essential to adopt a critical approach to the medical content available on social platforms. This situation invites reflection on the responsibility of content creators and the importance of adequate education for patients seeking reliable information on health topics.
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