YouTube for Information on Rheumatoid Arthritis — A Wakeup Call?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common debilitating autoimmune disease, with unmet need for knowledge among patients and the general population. YouTube is a popular, consumer-generated, video-sharing website, which can be a source of information on RA. We investigated the quality of information on RA on YouTube and analyzed audience interaction.

YouTube was searched using the term "Rheumatoid Arthritis," for videos uploaded on RA. Two physicians independently classified videos as useful, misleading, or patient views, and rated them on a 5-point global quality scale (GQS; 1 = poor quality, 5 = excellent quality). Useful videos were rated for reliability and content, on a 5-point scale (higher scores represent more reliable and comprehensive videos). Source of videos was also noted. Audience interaction was assessed through video viewership.