Korean J Dermatol.  2022 Mar;60(3):143-150.

Quality Evaluation of Korean YouTube Videos as a Source of Information on Malignant Melanoma

• Hur K
• Ha Es
• Kim DH
• Song WJ
• Mun JH

Abstract

Background
Disseminating public knowledge on malignant melanoma through YouTube is an important way to bridge the gap between physicians and patients. However, videos recorded on this topic in Korea are yet to be evaluated.
Objective
We aimed to evaluate the quality of YouTube videos on malignant melanoma recorded in Korea. We also investigated whether there was a difference in the quality of videos made by medical professionals (subdivided into dermatologists and non-dermatologists) and non-medical personnel.
Methods
We included all videos recorded in Korean by searching YouTube using the keywords “melanoma” or “malignant melanoma”. The search was performed on March 22, 2021. The inclusion criterion was videos in Korean language that contained medical information about malignant melanoma. The characteristics and content information were collected for each video. Video quality (DISCERN, Global Quality Scale [GQS], Journal of the American Medical Association [JAMA] benchmark criteria) was analyzed.
Results
Eighty-five videos met the inclusion criterion for the analysis. Fifty-six (66%) and 29 videos (34%) were made by medical and non-medical personnel, respectively. The videos made by medical professionals significantly contained more of the following information than those made by non-medical personnel: clinical information (p＜ 0.001), symptoms and signs (p=0.001), risk factors (p＜0.05), diagnosis (p＜0.001). Videos made by medical professionals, videos with a length of more than 5 minutes, or videos with more than 10,000 views had significantly higher quality scores (DISCERN, GQS, JAMA).
Conclusion
Considering that YouTube is being used as a portal for medical information, the participation of medical professionals is essential for providing more accurate information.

Keyword

Access to information; Melanoma; Public health; Republic of Korea; YouTube