The Popularity, Quality, and Reliability Analysis of Youtube Videos on Cataract and Cataract Surgery

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the popularity, quality, and reliability of the Youtube videos about cataract. Materials and Methods: The video search on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com) was conducted on the 26th of December 2020. The keywords (“cataract,” “cataract surgery,” and “Phacoemulsification.”) were separately searched without any user login, and the search history log was cleaned before the beginning of each search. The videos were also categorized according to the publisher and its content. Video popularity was assessed with the video power index (VPI). The video’s educational quality and reliability were scored using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) score, Global Quality Score (GQS), and the DISCERN questionnaire by two independent graders. Results: A total of ninety-five videos were qualified for the study. The quality and reliability scores were found significantly correlated with each other (p<0,001). However, the popularity index did not associate with the quality and reliability of the included videos. The most popular videos were published by a Tv Show or Youtube channel, while the videos with the best quality and reliability were published by ophthalmologists and academic institutions. The least popular videos were uploaded by private hospitals and Ophthalmologists as well. Conclusion: The overall video content quality and reliability were rated as fair or suboptimally sufficient. Besides, despite the satisfying level of video content uploaded by the private hospitals and ophthalmologists, these videos’ popularity was poorly scored. We have found an inverse relationship between the popularity and the reliability of the video.