TikTok videos on hysteroscopy found lacking in quality and accuracy

TikTok videos on hysteroscopy found lacking in quality and accuracy | Image Credit: © chathuporn - © chathuporn - stock.adobe.com.

The quality of videos about hysteroscopy on TikTok is unsatisfactory and misinformative, according to a recent study published in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics.¹

Experts have identified outpatient hysteroscopy as the best method of treating intracavitary uterine pathologies. Technological advancements have led to this method being minimally invasive and with low complication rates, but pain and low tolerance may occur in some patients during the procedure.²

Perceived discomfort may be impacted by anxiety among patients prior to hysteroscopy.¹ This has led to research about hysteroscopy-related content on video-based platforms such as YouTube, but data about TikTok, one of the most used social media platforms currently, remains limited.

Investigators conducted a study to evaluate hysteroscopic content on TikTok and identify misinformation. The keyword “hysteroscopy” was used on TikTok to search for videos on January 13, 2024. Eligibility criteria for videos included focusing on hysteroscopy and being in English or audio-free.

Extracted data included video title, duration, description, upload date, hashtags used, geographical location, and engagement metrics. The follower count, country of origin, total video contributions, and aggregate number of likes of content creators were also identified.

A team consisting of a senior gynecologist and 2 ob-gyn residents assessed the video content. Videos were independently reviewed and scored by team members to avoid bias. An additional gynecologist was consulted during discrepancies.

The patient education materials assessment tool for audiovisual content (PEMAT A/V) was used to evaluate the interpretability and practicability of content, while the reliability was assessed using the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) scale. The global quality scale (GQS) was used to assess the quality of video content.

Overall educational quality was quantified using the video information and quality index (VIQI). Rigorous fact-checking was performed for each video.

There were 144 videos included in the analysis, with a median length of 51 seconds and median number of views of 6496. Of videos, 25.5% were from health care providers and 74.5% were by patients. A patient-based audience was targeted in all videos. Views, shares, and followers were significantly higher in provider-generated videos.

Medical education content was commonly provided by health care professionals, while patients were more likely to discuss personal experiences. A more neutral tone was also reported in videos from health care professionals vs patients.

Of the content, 43.8% was considered partially accurate and 34.7% was uninformative. Non-health care providers were significantly more likely to produce content that was inaccurate or uninformative vs professionals, at 51.1% and 4%, respectively.

Overall PEMAT A/V understandability and actionability scores of 42.9% and 0%, respectively, were reported. Health care professional content had a significantly increased median understandability score vs patients, at 60% and 33.3%, respectively.

Health care providers also generated videos with higher actionability scores, though both groups had a median of 0. Videos from health care providers had a median mDISCERN score of 2 vs 1 for patients’ videos.

The overall median VIQI score was 7, indicating low-level content. However, the score was significantly higher among health care workers vs patients, at 11 vs 5, respectively. GQS scores were also low, with a median of 2 for health care provider videos vs 1 for patient videos.

These results indicated a lack of reliability from TikTok videos about hysteroscopy. Investigators encouraged TikTok creators to provide more trustworthy and accurate content to their followers.

References

1. Giovanni Vitale S, Angioni S, Saponara S, et al. TikTok as a platform for hysteroscopy information: An analytical video-based cross-sectional study to assess quality, reliability, and accuracy. International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2024. doi:10.1002/ijgo.15846
2. Cohen N, Nasra LA, Paz M, Kaufman Y, Lavie O, Zilberlicht A. Pain and anxiety management with virtual reality for office hysteroscopy: systemic review and meta-analysis. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2024;309(4):1127-1134. doi:10.1007/s00404-023-07261-9