Abstract

Introduction: Wrist ganglion cysts (WGC) are common lesions. With the rise of digital media, YouTube has become a prevalent platform for health information. However, the quality and reliability of WGC-related content on YouTube have not been thoroughly evaluated. This study aims to evaluate the quality, accuracy, and reliability of YouTube videos about WGCs.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in July 2024. YouTube videos were searched using the term "wrist ganglion cyst". A total of 50 videos were included in the analysis. The videos’ characteristics were recorded. The videos were evaluated using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Benchmark Scoring System, the Global Quality Scale (GQS), and a custom Wrist Ganglion Cyst-Specific Score (WGC-SS).
Results: Analysis of video sources revealed that 48% of the videos were uploaded by physicians and 42% by medical sources. Content analysis of these videos showed that 46% provided disease-specific information, 18% surgical techniques, and 14% non-surgical management. The average JAMA score was 1.7, indicating low reliability, while the GQS and WGC-SS averaged 2.68 and 4.08, respectively, reflecting low educational and content quality. Disease-specific information videos had higher GQS and WGC-SS scores compared to other content types. It was observed that the VPI did not correlate with the GQS and WGC-SS. There were no significant differences in JAMA scores based on video source or content type.
Conclusion: YouTube videos on WGC generally exhibit low quality and reliability. YouTube has potential as an educational tool, but improvements are necessary to ensure the reliability of health-related content.

Key words: Global Quality Scale, JAMA score, Video quality, Video Power Index, Wrist ganglion cyst, YouTube