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. 2025 Jul 22;20(1):695.
doi: 10.1186/s13018-025-06116-0.

Evaluating the quality of osteonecrosis and avascular necrosis content on youtube: a multidimensional analysis using DISCERN, JAMA, and GQS tools

Javid Mohammadzadeh Azarabadi  1 , Kemal Gökkuş  2 , Neveen Shalalfa  3
Affiliations

Evaluating the quality of osteonecrosis and avascular necrosis content on youtube: a multidimensional analysis using DISCERN, JAMA, and GQS tools

Javid Mohammadzadeh Azarabadi et al. J Orthop Surg Res. .

Abstract

Background: Osteonecrosis, or avascular necrosis (AVN), is a degenerative bone disorder caused by insufficient blood supply, primarily affecting weight-bearing joints. With increasing reliance on platforms like YouTube for health information, evaluating the quality of content related to AVN is crucial to prevent misinformation. This study aims to assess the quality and educational value of YouTube videos on AVN.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted on November 17, 2024, using the terms "avascular necrosis" and "osteonecrosis." From an initial pool of 143,000 videos, 70 relevant videos were selected based on specific inclusion criteria. Two orthopedic surgeons independently reviewed these videos, assessing various characteristics and categorizing them by content and the uploader's background. The quality was evaluated using the DISCERN score, JAMA criteria, and Video Power Index (VPI). Inter-rater reliability was assessed using Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC), which yielded a value of 0.903 (95% CI: 0.856 to 0.937), indicating nearly perfect agreement among reviewers.

Results: The mean video length was 11.6 ± 16.5 min, with a total view count averaging 23,087 ± 46,868. The mean DISCERN, JAMA, and GQS scores were 45.7 ± 13.9, 2.6 ± 0.7, and 3.0 ± 0.9, respectively. Videos uploaded by doctors had slightly higher quality scores, but overall, many videos were rated as average or poor. A significant positive correlation was found between the VPI and quality scores (p < 0.05), while older videos tended to have lower quality scores.

Conclusions: Health-related videos on platforms like YouTube frequently do not meet high-quality standards, despite some differences in assessments. This emphasizes the need for better quality control and standardization in health content production. Collaboration among medical professionals, content creators, and platforms can significantly enhance online health education quality.

Keywords: Avascular necrosis; DISCERN; GQS; JAMA; Medical information reliability; Online health education; Osteonecrosis; YouTube.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical approval: This study complied with BMC’s ethical standards for publicly available data. No participant consent was required as per institutional guidelines. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Distribution of video uploaders among the analyzed youtube videos
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Frequency of different types of avascular necrosis covered in youtube videos
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Distribution of DISCERN quality scores among analyzed youtube videos
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Correlation between various video parameters and quality assessment scores
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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