Introduction
The internet has changed the way in which patients access health information. More than half of all internet users are accessing their own health information online. Higher percentages of patients with chronic health conditions are turning to the internet for answers about their health (1, 2). Some studies have found that in over 80% of cases (3, 4), this information influences patient decisions regarding their chosen treatment.
YouTube is a video sharing platform with over two billion logged-in users (Alphabet Inc., Mountain View, California, USA) each month and every day people watch over a billion hours of videos and generate billions of views (5). YouTube allows users to upload, curate and comment on their own and others’ content. The site has some content restriction oversight by the company but in general, videos are not validated or peer reviewed. Whilst the website facilitates dissemination of evidence-based healthcare information, it can also be a medium for biased, anecdotal and unregulated material from some users.
Anecdotal evidence of unproven alternative therapies and biased negative reporting of scientifically validated therapies is available to patients, and if they base their decision making solely on this information, there may be significant safety consequences (4). There are surveys showing that some patients trust internet sources of information more than their own physicians (6).
Cholesteatoma is a chronic ear condition frequently requiring surgical management and post-operative surveillance (11). Patient participation in clinical decisions improves satisfaction (12) however, adherence to instructions requires an understanding of the condition and management options (13). The aim of this study is to analyze the quality of health information presented for patients with cholesteatoma on YouTube.