Assessment of the Quality and Reliability of YouTube Videos on Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the quality and reliability of videos on Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) on YouTube. METHODS: A search of YouTube was performed for the term “FECD” without any changes to the website’s standard search preferences. The first 100 videos were recorded. A total of 71 videos were evaluated regarding the DISCERN score (min–max: 16–75), Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) score (min–max: 0–4), and Global Quality Scale (GQS) score (min–max: 0–5). RESULTS: The mean DISCERN score was 40.1±15.6 (moderate), the mean JAMA score was 2.01±0.7 (poor), the mean GQS score was 2.5±1.3 (moderate), and the mean video power index score was 106.8±135.7. Twenty-three of the videos (32.4%) were uploaded by physicians, 25 (35.2%) by universities/private hospitals, and 21 (29.6%) by health channels. Thirty-six videos (50.7%) contained information about the disease, 24 (33.8%) discussed surgical techniques, and 11 (15.5%) were about patient experience. CONCLUSION: YouTube provides only moderate-quality health information on FECD. Physicians and professional organizations should be aware of and embrace this evolving technology to raise awareness about FECD.