Evaluation of YouTube Videos as a Source of Information on Pulmonary Rehabilitation for COPD

Abstract

Background: The use of YouTube for providing medical information is increasing, and patients with COPD are likely to use digital media to obtain information for their conditions. This study aimed to analyze the reliability and quality of the videos that were most frequently viewed by patients with COPD who searched YouTube for information on pulmonary rehabilitation.

Methods: A YouTube search was conducted by using the keyword "pulmonary rehabilitation." All the videos were categorized into 2 groups according to source and purpose. For evaluating the reliability and quality, the modified DISCERN score and the pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD-specific score (PRSS) were used, respectively. Differences of the variables between the groups and associations across the groups were examined. The influence of the variables of the videos on the engagement of viewers and viewership was analyzed.

Results: In total, 62 videos were analyzed. Most of the videos (54/62 [87%]) were uploaded by professionals and the remainder (8/62 [13%] by non-professionals. According to their purposes, 35 of 62 (56%) were informational and 27 of 62 (44%) were non-informational. The mean ± SD modified DISCERN score and the mean ± SD total the PRSS were 3.76 ± 1.04 and 4.13 ± 3.73, respectively. When comparing the videos according to professionalism, significant differences only in the modified DISCERN scores were observed. The engagement of viewers, viewership, mean modified DISCERN, mean total of the PRSS were significantly higher in the informational group than in the non-informational group. Video duration was positively correlated with engagement of viewers and viewership.

Conclusions: Popular YouTube videos on pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD were reliable; however, they were biased and of low quality in terms of providing content. Given YouTube's advantage of easy accessibility and disadvantage of vulnerability to poor-quality information, professionals should pay more attention to uploading comprehensive high-quality videos for informational purposes.