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YouTube™ as an information source for larynx cancer: a systematic review of video content

  • Head and Neck
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The increasing availability of Internet as a health-care source causes both positive and negative effects on public health. Though reaching to information about diseases is faster and easier, the contents are not always correct and might be misleading. In our study, we aim to investigate the quality of YouTube™ videos on larynx cancer.

Methods

A YouTube™ search by using terms “throat cancer” and “larynx cancer” was done and, after eliminating the irrelevant videos, the first 200 videos were evaluated by three authors on quality, content and usefulness by using a pre-developed questionnaire. Videos were categorized according to the type and uploader separately to two (testimonial and educational) and five groups (health care, university, individual users, television channel/news and undetermined), respectively.

Results

Videos that are uploaded by university-affiliated accounts have significantly better audiovisual quality score and have significantly higher accuracy and usefulness score results. Furthermore, the accuracy and usefulness scores of the educational group were found to be statistically higher than those of the testimonial group.

Conclusions

Videos uploaded by universities and videos that are created for educational purposes are superior to other sources in terms of quality, accuracy and content. Patient information videos discussing common health problems should be prepared and disseminated only by universities or health-care institutions

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Funding

No funding was taken for this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Pendik Training and Research Hospital, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Necati Enver, Ece Gürol, Sefa Incaz & Ulker Mamadova

  2. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Voice and Swallowing Institute, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Necati Enver

  3. Department of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Turgut Ozal Street-Fatih, 34093, Istanbul, Turkey

    Can Doruk & Hakan Kara

Authors
  1. Necati Enver
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  2. Can Doruk
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  3. Hakan Kara
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  4. Ece Gürol
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  5. Sefa Incaz
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  6. Ulker Mamadova
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Can Doruk.

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Enver, N., Doruk, C., Kara, H. et al. YouTube™ as an information source for larynx cancer: a systematic review of video content. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 277, 2061–2069 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-020-05906-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-020-05906-y

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