Quality and reliability of short videos about postherpetic neuralgia on TikTok and Bilibili: a cross-sectional study

Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) affects10%-18% of herpes zoster cases, causing chronic pain and psychological distress that severely impair quality of life. TikTok and Bilibili are emerging channels for health information dissemination. This study systematically evaluated the quality and reliability of short videos related to PHN on TikTok and Bilibili, focusing on content characteristics, user engagement, and cross-platform differences. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on July 30, 2025. The top 100 PHN-related videos on TikTok and Bilibili were identified using the keywords “带状疱疹后神经痛,” respectively, yielding 200 videos. Content quality was assessed with the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) scale and Global Quality Score (GQS). Videos were categorized by thematic content, and engagement indicators—including likes, comments, collections, and shares—were analyzed. Correlations between video characteristics and quality scores were examined statistically. A total of 166 videos met inclusion criteria (TikTok: 80; Bilibili: 86). TikTok videos were significantly shorter yet demonstrated higher engagement across all metrics. Specialists produced most TikTok content, whereas Bilibili featured a more heterogeneous group of uploaders, including traditional Chinese doctors and general users. TikTok videos exhibited higher mDISCERN and GQS scores, greater originality, and a higher proportion of verified creators. However, engagement metrics were not associated with video quality on TikTok, while Bilibili showed a positive correlation between the two. Vaccine-related content was rare on both platforms. The overall quality and reliability of PHN-related short videos remain suboptimal on both platforms. Content produced by healthcare professionals, particularly those practicing modern medicine, tended to be of higher quality. Nonetheless, engagement metrics cannot reliably represent educational value. Enhancing professional participation and strengthening platform-level content regulation are essential to improve the accuracy and credibility of PHN-related health information.