Abstract
Purpose:
The internet is essential for obtaining information about lung cancer, which is the leading contributor to global cancer deaths. YouTube is a video-streaming platform that is popular amongst health consumers; however, the quality of videos is variable, and few studies have evaluated their role in lung cancer education. This study uses a systematic approach to assess the lung cancer YouTube videos for patient education.
Materials and Methods:
Using the search term “lung cancer”, the first 50 YouTube videos were recorded after applying exclusion criteria and removing duplicates. A video assessment tool was used to evaluate the videos in three domains: general parameters, source parameters and video content. A modified DISCERN tool was used to assess video reliability. Two independent reviewers evaluated the videos and discrepancies were resolved via consensus.
Results:
Under half the videos were published within 3 years. Mean video length was 6 minutes and 12 seconds. Video publishers were commonly from the USA (70%); were affiliated with a health care facility/ organization (30%), non-profit (26%) or commercial organization (30%); had a physician presenter (46%); were targeted towards patients (68%); and had subtitles (96%). Seventy four percent of videos supported optimal learning by including effective audio and visual channels. Lung cancer epidemiology, risk factors and definitions (nature of the disease and classification) were amongst the most common topics covered. Prognostic and diagnostic information were covered less than expected. Modified DISCERN scores varied by presenter type; however, these results should be interpreted cautiously due to the absence of gold standard tools.
Conclusion:
This study describes the landscape of YouTube videos for lung cancer. It informs the development of future lung cancer videos and guides healthcare providers when recommending educational resources to their patients.