YouTube as a source of information on the non-pharmacological treatment of COPD

BACKGROUND: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) requires both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. Patients increasingly seek health-related information on platforms such as YouTube. However, the usefulness of YouTube videos on the treatment of COPD is unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the usefulness of YouTube videos on the non-pharmacological treatment of COPD. METHODS: Search terms were "COPD", "Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease" and "Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease", and videos with >30,000 views and non-pharmacological content were included. Two independent reviewers assessed quality using standardized tools: Modified DISCERN, Journal of American Medical Association benchmark criteria, and Global Quality Score. RESULTS: Among 97 videos, 86% were "useful", 13% "misleading", and 1% "neither". 62% of the misleading videos contained misinformation on the nutritional management of COPD. 85% of all misleading videos were uploaded by healthcare professionals. Misleading videos received significantly more engagement (total p-values <0.05). Scores on the Modified DISCERN (p = 0.015) and JAMA benchmark criteria (p = 0.021) were significantly higher for useful videos compared to misleading ones, while the Global Quality Score (p = 0.253) was less effective at distinguishing between the two categories. CONCLUSION: YouTube videos on non-pharmacological treatment of COPD are of high quality; however, nutrition-focused misinformation is widespread and tends to attract disproportionately high engagement.