An analysis of YouTube videos about restless leg syndrome: Choosing the right guide

Abstract

Individuals often resort to YouTube as a means of accessing insights into their medical conditions and potential avenues for treatment. Among prevalent and incapacitating afflictions within the general populace, restless leg syndrome assumes significance. The focal objective of this investigation is to scrutinize the caliber inherent in videos pertaining to restless leg syndrome disseminated via the YouTube platform. The sorting of videos was accomplished by gauging their pertinence subsequent to conducting a search for "restless leg syndrome" on YouTube, specifically on the 20th of August, 2023. The evaluation encompassed videos curated from the selection of the top 50 English language videos deemed most relevant. The review process entailed the comprehensive assessment of relevance and content by 2 distinct medical professionals operating independently. Furthermore, pertinent descriptive attributes of each video, such as upload date, view count, likes, dislikes, and comments, were meticulously documented within the dataset. To ascertain video quality, the DISCERN Score, global quality score, and Journal of the American Medical Association rating scales were employed as evaluative tools. Significant statistical disparities were observed in terms of DISCERN scores between videos uploaded by medical doctors and those uploaded by individuals without medical qualifications (P < .001). Correspondingly, upon comparing the 2 aforementioned groups, videos uploaded by healthcare professionals exhibited statistically superior quality scores in both the Journal of the American Medical Association and global quality score assessments (P < .001 for both comparisons). The informational quality regarding restless leg syndrome on YouTube presents a spectrum of variability. Notably, videos that offer valuable insights, as well as those that could potentially mislead viewers, do not display discernible variations in terms of their viewership and popularity. For patients seeking reliable information, a useful and safe approach involves favoring videos uploaded by medical professionals. It is imperative to prioritize the professional identity of the content uploader rather than being swayed by the video's popularity or the quantity of comments it has amassed.