ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to identify and assess the characteristics and content quality of the YouTube videos suggesting alternatives for either treating or preventing COVID-19 and their perception among the viewers. A comprehensive electronic search was conducted on YouTube, resulting in a total of 120 videos being selected for the study based on view count and relevance. The videos were evaluated for their content quality using the JAMA and DISCERN scoring system by two reviewers. Their mean DISCERN scores indicate the 20.8% of the videos were of very poor quality, 34.2% poor, 30.0% average, 11.7%, good and 3.3% excellent. In addition, 40.8% of the videos were classified as misleading, 37.5% as useful and 21.7% as neither/nor. Blogs/short films were the most predominantly used media type for spreading misleading information in the videos, while government agencies and health information channels shared useful videos with evidence-based information. There was a poor correlation between the viewer’s ratings and the quality assessment findings. Interventions by government agencies and professional medical organizations are necessary to improve the quality standard of the health care information disseminated through YouTube. © 2021 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.