Cross-sectional study on the quality of oral lichen planus videos on YouTube™

Background: YouTube™ is one of the most used platforms for patients looking for health-related information. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to analyze the available information about oral lichen planus on YouTube™ and how users interact with it. Methods: A YouTube™ search for oral lichen planus was performed, setting English UK (language) and United Kingdom (country). Two hundred and fifteen results were screened, and 36 videos met the inclusion criteria. Videos' quality was evaluated using the DISCERN and the Global Quality Scale tools, and by categorizing them through quality assessment, source, duration, views, likes, and dislikes of each video were noted. Results: According to quality assessments, 55.6% of the videos were classified as useful, while the 35.1% were classified as misleading/dangerous. The DISCERN and GQS values were generally low (31.56 ± 10.38 and 2.33 ± 1.07, respectively); DISCERN and GQS were positively correlated with the video length and negatively correlate with the data of upload (p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study corroborates the results of others that a great number of health-related videos available on YouTube™ feature misleading or potentially dangerous information; although the quality seems to slightly improve over time, medical associations and researchers ought to plan strategies aimed at improving the quality of the information delivered through YouTube™ and other social media.