Quality, reliability, and clinical accuracy of bronchiectasis-related videos on Douyin and Bilibili: a cross-sectional study

Short videos are increasingly used for health information, but the quality of Mandarin bronchiectasis content on Chinese platforms remains uncertain. We conducted a cross-sectional content analysis of Douyin and Bilibili videos retrieved on March 15, 2026 using the Mandarin clinical term for bronchiectasis. Newly registered accounts screened the top 150 default comprehensive-ranking results from each platform; 203 eligible videos were included (Douyin, 103; Bilibili, 100). Videos were assessed using the Global Quality Scale (GQS), modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), JAMA benchmark criteria, uploader classification, content-theme coding and a clinical-accuracy audit. Overall median GQS, mDISCERN and JAMA scores were 3.00 (IQR 2.00–3.00), 2.00 (IQR 1.00–2.00) and 2.00 (IQR 1.00–2.00), respectively. GQS scores did not differ significantly between platforms, mDISCERN scores were slightly higher on Bilibili, and JAMA scores were higher on Douyin. In the clinical-accuracy audit, 142 of 203 videos (69.95%) were accurate or mostly accurate, with higher proportions on Douyin than Bilibili (76.70% versus 63.00%). These findings indicate moderate information quality with uneven transparency and clinical-accuracy gaps in this cross-sectional sample. They should be interpreted within the search date, Mandarin-language scope and two-platform design.