A critical review of obstetric and gynecological physical examination videos available on YouTube: Content analysis and user engagement evaluation

BACKGROUND: Video-sharing website “YouTube” is a growing source of healthcare information. But, the videos uploaded on this open platform are not peer reviewed, therefore, the information available needs to be sufficiently evaluated. No studies have been conducted to evaluate the authenticity and utility of obstetrics and gynecology (Obs/Gyne) physical examination YouTube videos. This study was performed to analyze the sources, contents, and quality of videos about the Obs/Gyne clinical examination available on YouTube. METHODS: A systematic search was performed on YouTube website using the following key words: “OBSTETRIC,” “GYNECOLOGICAL,” “SPECULUM OBSTETRIC,” “OBSTETRIC CLINICAL,” “BIMANUAL PELVIC,” and “EXAMINATION” to analyze the sources, contents, and the quality of YouTube videos about the Obs/Gyne clinical examination during the period between November 2015 and March 2017. The videos were classified into educationally useful and useless based on the content, accuracy of the knowledge, and the demonstration. RESULTS: Out of total 457 screened videos, 176 (38.51%) videos met the pre-set inclusion criteria. After review, out of 176 pertinent videos, 84 (47.7%) videos were found educationally useful, and out of these 84 useful videos, only 29 (34.5%) were highly educational in nature. CONCLUSION: YouTube videos showed variable educational value. Only, a small number of videos were identified as useful and can be used by the medical students for self-directed learning and by the clinical teachers for educational purposes or other academic activities.