Internet is the most accessible source of information for a plethora of contents; however, the quality of several pieces of information is often poor, with potentially dangerous consequences in the case of healthcare. Youtube, as the largest database of freely available videos, is among the most relevant sources of information, and yet one of the less reliable, given the absence of peer review and the potential use of clickbait titles, conflicts of interest and unverified data.
In their study, Warren and colleagues reviewed several youtube videos discussing male hypogonadism and potential treatment options, and found out that the majority of videos are unreliable. Additionally, videos of higher quality, which often feature a physician, receive fewer views than those of more dubious content.
The Authors suggest that Scientific Societies involved in patient education should consider the use of Youtube videos as potentially helpful material, possibly also following the recommendations to increase viewership.
Original article
Warren CJ, Wisener J, Ward B, Behbahani S, Shah T, Fano A, Paskhover B, Sadeghi-Nejad H. YouTube as a Patient Education Resource for Male Hypogonadism and Testosterone Therapy. Sex Med. 2021 Mar 19;9(2):100324. doi: 10.1016/j.esxm.2021.100324. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33752104.