Is YouTube a Reliable Source of Information for Sacral Neuromodulation in Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction?

Background/Objectives: YouTube is an open-access video streaming platform with minimal regulation which has led to a vast library of unregulated medical videos. This study assesses the quality of information, understandability and actionability of videos on YouTube pertaining to sacral neuromodulation (SNM). Methods: The first 50 videos on YouTube after searching “sacral neuromodulation for bladder dysfunction” were reviewed. Thirty-eight of these videos met the inclusion criteria. These videos were reviewed by two Urology Registrars and the videos were scored using two standardised tools. The DISCERN tool assesses quality of information and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Material (PEMAT-A/V) tool assesses user understandability and accessibility. Results: Forty-two percent of videos were deemed to be poor or very poor, with 58% being fair, good or excellent according to the DISCERN standardised tool. For PEMAT-A/V the average score for understandability was 74% (43–100%) and actionability was 38% (0–100%). We found statistical significance comparing the duration of videos to the DISCERN groups (p = 0.02). We also found significance comparing the understandability of videos using the PEMAT-A/V score to the DISCERN groups (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions: Forty-two percent of videos on SNM are of poor or very poor quality. The actionability score for consumers to seek out further information is also low at 38%. This raises concerns about the quality of information that is widely available on YouTube and how consumers will use this information when making decisions about their health.