YouTube as a Source of Information about the Lumbar Radiculopathy: A Content-Quality Analysis

YouTube as a Source of Information about the Lumbar Radiculopathy

Abstract

Background: This research was intended to appraise the reliability and quality of YouTube videos regarding lumbar radiculopathy Methods: On January 2023, a survey was done on YouTube (www.youtube.com) using the terms “lumbar radiculopathy,” “sciatica,” “sciatica physical therapy,” and “lumbar radiculopathy physiotherapy.” The most popular videos were displayed first in the video sort. Based on four keywords, we similarly assessed the top 40 videos out of 200 videos. Videos were assessed by two independent observers. The date of upload, the duration of each video, the number of views, likes and comments were all noted for every video. The global quality score (GQS) (score range: 0-5), the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) score (0-5), and the DISCERN (15-75) score were used to evaluate the video quality and reliability. Results: Out of 40 videos, 55% were uploaded by physiotherapists, 22% were uploaded by orthopaedists, and were uploaded by chiropractors. According to GQS most of the videos are of moderate quality. JAMA scoring scale concluded that all videos are of poor quality. The DISCERN scale shows that most of the videos are of poor quality (29-41). An Independent t-test with a p-value of 1.000 for JAMA, 0.310 for DISCERN, and 0.22 for GQS, demonstrated a statistically insignificant association between the GQS, JAMA, and DISCERN. According to Pearson’s correlation test, likes on videos are statistically significant with GQS (p=0.002) and DISCERN (p=0.005) but not significant with JAMA (p=0.455) scores. On the other hand, views on YouTube videos are statistically significantly correlated with DISCERN (p=0.001), and with GQS (0.000). But views on YouTube significantly not correlated with JAMA (p=0.595). Conclusion: The reliability and quality of YouTube videos regarding lumbar radiculopathy range from poor to moderate. Our findings imply that professional groups should offer and advertise highest rated content to YouTube viewers and patients.

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