YouTube is a source of misinformation about plasti

In the first study to evaluate YouTube videos about facial plastic surgery procedures, Rutgers University researchers found that most are misleading marketing campaigns posted by unqualified medical professionals.

The millions of people who turn to YouTube as a source of education about facial plastic surgery are getting a false understanding that doesn’t include the risks or the alternatives, said lead author Boris Paskhover, an assistant professor in the department of otorhinolaryngology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. specializes in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery.

The study appears in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.

“Facial plastic surgery videos may be primarily marketing campaigns and may not be fully intended as educational,” Paskhover said.

Paskhover and a team of students at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School evaluated 240 top-viewing videos with 160 million combined views that resulted from keyword searches for “eyelid surgery,” “eyelid surgery,” “dermal fillers,” “facial fillers,” ” otoplasty”. ‘, ‘ear surgery’, ‘rhydectomy’, ‘facelift’, ‘lip augmentation’, ‘lip filler’, ‘rhinoplasty’ and/or ‘nose job’.

The researchers evaluated the videos using DISCERN criteria, a scale for evaluating the quality of medical information presented online or in other media, which takes into account risks, a discussion of nonsurgical options, and the validity of the information presented. The researchers also assessed the people who posted the videos, including whether they were healthcare professionals, patients or third parties. Physicians were scored based on their board status in the American Board of Medical Specialties database.

The results revealed that the majority of videos did not include qualified professionals in the procedures depicted, including 94 videos with no physician at all. Seventy-two videos, featuring certified physicians, had relatively high DISCERN scores and provided some valuable information for patients.

“However, even videos posted by legitimate board-certified surgeons can be marketing tools designed to look like educational videos,” Paskhover said.

“Patients and doctors using YouTube for educational purposes should be aware that these videos may present biased information, be unbalanced in assessing risks versus benefits, and be unclear about the practitioner’s qualifications.” , said Paskhover. “YouTube is for marketing. The majority of people posting these videos are trying to sell you something.”

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