Quality and reliability of Youtube videos on percutaneous ablation of thyroid nodules

Aim: We aimed to assess the quality and reliability of YouTube videos on percutaneous ablation of thyroid nodules (PATN) to evaluate their utility as educational tools for patients and healthcare professionals. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed 76 YouTube videos identified through keyword searches ("percutaneous ablation of thyroid nodules", "thyroid radiofrequency ablation", and "thyroid microwave ablation") on November 10, 2024. Videos were categorized by type (informative, technical, personal experience, and news), duration (≤4 minutes, >4 minutes), upload source (professional healthcare providers, non-professionals, or independent users), and target audience (patients or healthcare professionals). Quality and reliability were assessed using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) criteria, the Global Quality Score (GQS), and the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN). Statistical analyses, including the Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman correlation tests, were conducted. Results: A total of 76 videos were evaluated. Informative videos scored significantly higher on quality metrics (GQS, 2.85 ± 0.15, p= 0.002; mDISCERN, 2.13 ± 0.16, p= 0.008). Videos >4 minutes demonstrated higher quality scores (p= 0.001). No statistically significant differences in popularity metrics (likes, comments, view rates) were observed across groups (p> 0.05). No significant correlations were found between quality scores (JAMA, GQS, mDISCERN) and popularity metrics (R² = -0.019 to 0.147). Conclusion: While informative and longer videos exhibited higher quality, popularity metrics were not reliable indicators of video quality. These findings highlight the need for healthcare professionals to produce engaging and accurate content for platforms like YouTube to improve public education about PATN.