Beyond the Screen: Quality, Reliability, And Accuracy of YouTube Videos on Physiotherapy in Down Syndrome

Abstract

People use social media applications such as YouTube as a source of information because of the opportunities they provide, even though the accuracy of the content has not been verified. This study aims to evaluate the characteristics, quality, reliability, and transparency of YouTube content on physiotherapy interventions for Down's syndrome. In the study, the YouTube application was searched using six keywords. Video quality was determined by the Global Quality Scale (GQS), reliability by the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), and reliability/transparency by the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria. Of the 362 reviewed videos, 17 were included in the study, with 5 uploaded by patients and their relatives, and 12 by physiotherapists. The videos uploaded by physiotherapists were of higher quality and reliability than those uploaded by patients and their relatives. Statistically significant relationships were found between number of views and likes (p = 0.001), between video duration and mDISCERN score (p = 0.003), and between GQS and mDISCERN score (p = 0.007). The mDISCERN score was found to be effective on the GSQ (p = 0.006). Physiotherapists' YouTube content on Down syndrome was suitable for patients and health professionals but lacked transparency, which needs improvement.