(0609) Assessment of YouTube as a Patient Resource for Information on Head and Neck Cancer

Introduction: National incidence of head and neck cancer (HNC) is increasing, and patients are relying on internet video searches for educational information regarding their condition. This study evaluates HNC educational videos on one common search engine, YouTube.

Methods: In total, 6 keywords relating to HNC were searched on YouTube. The top 30 videos from each search were included. Duplicate and non-English sources were excluded. Included videos were evaluated for video characteristics and analysis as patient education tools. The DISCERN Tool and Global Quality Score (GQS) were used to assess the reliability and quality of the patient educational tool. The usefulness of videos was assessed using a total usefulness score (TUS).

Results: A total of 123 videos were included for evaluation. Most videos were from hospital affiliated sources (53%). The mean DISCERN and GQS scores were 3. The mean TUS was 4. Mean DISCERN, GQS, and TUS scores did not differ by upload source. Of the videos, 11% were categorized as highly useful. Mean reliability (p < 0.001) and quality (p < 0.001) scores were significantly higher for the highest TUS category. Post hoc analysis found higher quality videos were longer. However, average view count decreased as video length increased.

Conclusions: Reliability and quality scores are higher in videos rated as useful to patients, however only a minority of available videos are in this category. This study revealed a lack of dependable information regarding HNC. In order to increase health literacy and access to well-founded educational tools, healthcare organizations could upload succinct, comprehensive, peer-reviewed videos to YouTube.