Assessing quality and reliability of online videos on peritoneal dialysis: a Douyin video-based study

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is an established home-based kidney replacement therapy but remains underutilized, partly due to limited patient knowledge. Meanwhile, TikTok is increasingly used for health information, but the quality of PD-related content on this platform remains uncertain. We conducted a cross-sectional evaluation of PD-related Douyin (the Chinese domestic counterpart of TikTok) videos retrieved on November 13, 2025. Video characteristics were recorded and videos were categorized by uploader type and content category. Two independent raters assessed each video using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria, the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), the Global Quality Score (GQS), the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials (PEMAT-A/V), and Peritoneal Dialysis-Specific Scale (PDSS), including a Core PDSS subset. Among 145 included videos, most (143/145) received a JAMA score of 2. Median scores were 2.0 (1.0–3.0) for mDISCERN, 2.0 (2.0–3.0) for GQS, 80.0% (70.0%–95.4%) for PEMAT understandability, 66.7% (66.7%-100%) for PEMAT actionability, 5.0 (3.0–7.0) for PDSS and 2.0 (1.0–3.0) for Core PDSS. Scores differed significantly by uploader type and content category. Videos posted by patients and non-professional individuals had lower GQS, PDSS, and Core PDSS scores than those from professional individuals or hospital-affiliated organizations. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that likes were not significantly correlated with any quality score. Favorites and shares correlated positively with quality and reliability, whereas comments correlated negatively. Multiple linear regression analysis suggested that longer video duration was independently associated with higher quality and reliability as well as higher engagement (likes, favorites, and shares). Overall, PD-related content on Douyin is frequently insufficient in reliability and patient education value. Strengthening nephrologist-led production, platform governance, and actionable patient-centered education is warranted.