INTRODUCTION: Many vitiligo patients seek healthcare information online. However, the accuracy and quality of this information is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy, quality, viewer engagement, and viewer experience of vitiligo videos on social media. METHODS: We searched the term “vitiligo” on YouTube. Videos were stratified based on source categories. Video accuracy was assessed using DAS and ANDI. Video quality was assessed using GQS. Viewer experience was assessed using AVA. RESULTS: Sixty videos were evaluated for inclusion and exclusion criteria. We evaluated 49 videos with a total of 28.2 million views, 431,416 likes, and 61,976 comments. Of these videos, 27 (55%) were from healthcare sources, and 22 (45%) were from non-healthcare sources. When compared to videos from non-healthcare sources, videos from healthcare sources had significantly higher accuracy scores (ANDI = 3.69 ± 0.16 vs 2.77 ± 0.36; P=0.017 and DAS = 3.72 ± 0.13 vs 3.07 ± 0.28; P=0.029) but significantly fewer views (38,883 vs 1,231,947; P=0.005). Videos from alternative medicine sources had the lowest accuracy scores when compared to the remainder of the videos (ANDI = 0.5 ± 0.13 vs 3.66 ± 0.14; P<0.001 and DAS = 1.25 ± 0.11 vs 3.73 ± 0.11; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Inaccurate videos on vitiligo are prevalent on social media. Misinformation can lead to potentially harmful interventions and delay in seeking evidence-based care. Videos from healthcare sources were more accurate but were viewed less than those from non-healthcare sources. Further efforts are needed to improve the visibility and viewer experience of accurate healthcare content on social media. J Drugs Dermatol. 2021;20(6):623-629. doi:10.36849/JDD.5835.
INTRODUCTION: Many vitiligo patients seek healthcare information online. However, the accuracy and quality of this information is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine the accuracy, quality, viewer engagement, and viewer experience of vitiligo videos on social media. METHODS: We searched the term “vitiligo” on YouTube. Videos were stratified based on source categories. Video accuracy was assessed using DAS and ANDI. Video quality was assessed using GQS. Viewer experience was assessed using AVA. RESULTS: Sixty videos were evaluated for inclusion and exclusion criteria. We evaluated 49 videos with a total of 28.2 million views, 431,416 likes, and 61,976 comments. Of these videos, 27 (55%) were from healthcare sources, and 22 (45%) were from non-healthcare sources. When compared to videos from non-healthcare sources, videos from healthcare sources had significantly higher accuracy scores (ANDI = 3.69 ± 0.16 vs 2.77 ± 0.36; P=0.017 and DAS = 3.72 ± 0.13 vs 3.07 ± 0.28; P=0.029) but significantly fewer views (38,883 vs 1,231,947; P=0.005). Videos from alternative medicine sources had the lowest accuracy scores when compared to the remainder of the videos (ANDI = 0.5 ± 0.13 vs 3.66 ± 0.14; P<0.001 and DAS = 1.25 ± 0.11 vs 3.73 ± 0.11; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Inaccurate videos on vitiligo are prevalent on social media. Misinformation can lead to potentially harmful interventions and delay in seeking evidence-based care. Videos from healthcare sources were more accurate but were viewed less than those from non-healthcare sources. Further efforts are needed to improve the visibility and viewer experience of accurate healthcare content on social media. J Drugs Dermatol. 2021;20(6):623-629. doi:10.36849/JDD.5835.