Family Medicine and Vaccines in Digital Publishing: A Youtube Evaluation

Abstract

Objective: The implementation of successful immunization programs has significantly reduced deaths and severe health problems caused by vaccine-preventable diseases. This study aims to evaluate the validity and quality of YouTube videos related to family medicine and vaccines.

Methods: The term "vaccines in family medicine" was searched on YouTube on October 18, 2024. Videos in languages other than Turkish, duplicates, and those unrelated to the search terms were excluded. The first 50 videos were reviewed. The presenter of the video, the type of channel publishing the video, the type of vaccines, Modified DISCERN score, JAMA score, and the visible statistics of the videos were recorded.

Results: All 50 videos reviewed were found to be useful. The average Modified DISCERN score was 3.2±0.83, and the average JAMA score was 1.98±0.51. Of the videos, 48% (n=24) were presented by family physicians, followed by pediatricians at 32% (n=16) and infectious disease specialists at 8% (n=4). Regarding the YouTube channels that published the videos, 54% (n=27) were health-related channels, and 40% (n=20) were news channels. Childhood vaccines were discussed in 56% (n=28) of cases and adult vaccines in 44% (n=22). The average number of views was 255,563.90 ± 57,926.06, while the average number of comments was 60.02 ± 173.70. The average video duration was 11.86±17.60 minutes. Videos had an average of 269.26±854.33 likes and 10.16±27.33 dislikes. The averages of engagement index, view ratio, and video power index were 2.40±3.57, 1559.42±3261.78, and 97.84±5.85, respectively.

Conclusion: While YouTube videos appear to be useful, there are aspects that need improvement according to valid and reliable evaluation tools. Additionally, although family physicians have limited visibility on YouTube, it would be beneficial for them to represent themselves with higher-quality content both in terms of quantity and quality.