Are HoLEP Surgical Videos on YouTube Biased and Misleading or Are They
Leading the Industry?
Abstract
Objective: In this study, we aim to evaluate the content and quality of
the most relevant YouTube videos related to Holmium laser enucleation of
the prostate (HoLEP) surgery. Materials and Methods: The keywords
‘HOLEP’, ‘laser enucleation’ and ‘prostate enucleation’ were used to
perform a search on YouTube. Non-English language videos, videos with
less than 4-minute duration, and repetitive videos were excluded. The
reactions of the viewers to the videos were evaluated by recording the
‘total views’, ‘views/month’ and ‘likes and dislikes’ parameters. The
data were divided into two groups based on the source of upload: Group 1
consisted of healthcare providers and Groups 2 comprised commercial
companies and for-profit organizations. Results: A total of 117 videos
were included in the study. A significant portion of the videos (77.7%)
had been uploaded by healthcare providers. There was no statistically
significant difference between the uploading groups in terms of the
DISCERN and GQS scores (p=0.484 and p=0.108, respectively). However, the
PEMAT understandability and actionability scores were statistically
significantly higher in Group 2 (p=0.004 and p=0.022, respectively). In
addition, when the misinformation scale was evaluated, there were
significantly more videos with high-degree misinformation in Group 2
(5.5% vs 33.3, p=0.001). Conclusion: On video sharing platforms, such
as YouTube, the number of reliable videos with accurate and appropriate
guidance about diseases and treatments should be increased, and these
videos should be allowed to be posted after they have been approved by
relevant institutions, including healthcare associations and
universities.