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.