Abstract:

Social media platforms are used for education in dermatopathology, especially during the pandemic. However, no systematic evaluation of the quality of educational content has been performed. A popular platform is YouTube. We evaluated the quality and engagement of dermatopathology videos on YouTube, using validated social media assessment tools. In May 2022, we searched YouTube in incognito mode for the top 50 videos associated with the search term ‘dermatopathology’. The quality of videos was assessed using a modified Delphi consensus 13-item quality indicator, including domains of credibility, content, and design. To assess engagement, we calculated a comments per views ratio, a metric for social media engagement. Non-English videos, advertisements, and videos unrelated to dermatopathology were excluded. Google trends data was also collected between 2020-2022. Google trends data showed increased web searches related to the term ‘dermatopathology’ over the last two years, primarily from the UK, Taiwan, Egypt, and the United States. 45 videos met inclusion criteria. All were created by physicians, 40/45 by dermatopathologists. All videos were accessible, contained professional content and used visibly good quality images. Regarding credibility, 0/45 videos listed conflicts of interest and references. 34/45 (75%) videos presented dermatopathology educational content, whereas 11/45 (24%) contained opinion-based content focusing on careers in dermatopathology. 21/45 (46.7%) of authors reported who was involved in creating the videos. There was minimal viewer engagement, with the mean comments per views ratio of all videos at 0.001 (optimal standard comments per views ratio is 0.5). Learners at all levels increasingly seek online information to augment training. There has been an increase in google searches related to dermatopathology during the pandemic. Inconsistent video credibility and limited engagement can compromise on-line dermatopathology education.

Financial Disclosure:
No current or relevant financial relationships exist.

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Neha Shukla, MD