YouTube as a source for health information?
The current issue of JAMA has an interesting Research Letter examining the content of YouTube videos for information about immunizations. They identified 153 videos. Seventy-three (48%) of the videos were positive, 49 (32%) were negative and 31 (20%) were ambiguous. Compared with positive videos, negative videos were more likely to receive a rating, had a higher mean star rating and had more views. Of the negative videos, 22 (45%) conveyed content that contradicted 2006 Canadian Immunization Guide. Take home message: YouTube is a another source for health information. Not all of it is accurate. But more importantly, health professionals need to consider the potential use of YouTube as an effective way to communicate good health information.