Assessing the Quality, Reliability, and Popularity of Adenoidectomy Videos on YouTube: A Two-Observer Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate adenoidectomy videos on YouTube in terms of educational quality (Global Quality Score (GQS)), reliability (modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) scale scores), and popularity (Video Power Index (VPI)) and to identify the characteristics of those videos. Methods: Fifty-two adenoidectomy videos on YouTube were included. Title, duration, views/likes/comments, subtitles/translations, source acknowledgment, uploader type, and content elements were evaluated. Global Quality Score, mDISCERN, and JAMA scores were scored by 2 otolaryngologists for each video. The VPI values were also calculated. Agreement between the 2 experts was examined using the intraclass correlation coefficient. Group comparisons were performed using statistical analysis. Results: The average quality/reliability level of the videos was moderate (mDISCERN ≈ 2.4, GQS ≈ 2.9, JAMA ≈ 2.2). Medical professional-sourced videos received significantly higher scores than videos produced by non-medical professionals. Video duration was positively correlated with GQS, and the number of views tended to decrease with increasing duration. Video Power Index demonstrated a moderate ability to distinguish educationally useful videos (GQS > 3), with an area under the curve of approximately 0.67-0.69. At a VPI threshold of approximately 41, sensitivity was around 50% and specificity ranged between 86% and 88%. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the quality and reliability of adenoidectomy videos on YouTube are generally moderate, with professionally sourced and more structured/longer videos receiving higher ratings. It may also be concluded that video popularity does not necessarily reflect quality, and transparency of source/citation and content is essential for patient education. Cite this article as: Altıparmak S, Kars A. Assessing the quality, reliability, and popularity of adenoidectomy videos on YouTube: a two-observer cross-sectional study. Balkan ORL-HNS 2026, 3, 0150. doi: 10.5152/bohns.2026.26150.