Assessing the quality and reliability of colorectal cancer–related short videos on douyin and bilibili: a cross-sectional study

This study aimed to evaluate the quality and reliability of CRC-related short videos on Douyin and Bilibili and to compare differences across platforms and uploader categories. A cross-sectional study was conducted to analyze 182 CRC-related short videos retrieved from Douyin and Bilibili. Video characteristics and raw interaction metrics, including likes, comments, collections, and shares, were collected.The Global Quality Score (GQS), modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) tool, and Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria were used for evaluation. Statistical analyses included the Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis H test, Pearson’s chi-square test, and Spearman correlation analysis. The included videos had median GQS, mDISCERN, and JAMA scores of 3.00, 2.00, and 2.00, respectively. Douyin videos achieved higher JAMA scores than those on Bilibili ( P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in GQS or mDISCERN scores between platforms or among uploader categories. Videos uploaded by colorectal surgeons and other specialists achieved significantly higher JAMA scores than those uploaded by individual users (adjusted P < 0.001). Most videos focused on treatment (64.3%) and diagnosis (59.3%), whereas preventive and etiological content was underrepresented (< 20%). Raw interaction metrics showed strong correlations with each other but generally weak associations with video quality and reliability scores. Short-video platforms serve as accessible channels for disseminating CRC-related health information, although improvements in information quality, reliability, and transparency are still needed. Increasing healthcare professional participation and exploring platform-level quality oversight strategies may contribute to improving the reliability and educational value of online health content.