Youtube English videos as a source of information on shoulder exercise after breast cancer surgery

Abstract Purpose To examine the content, quality and reliability of YouTube videos on exercises that can be performed after breast cancer surgery. Methods Videos selected from YouTube using the search terms “shoulder exercise and breast cancer surgery”, “arm exercise and breast cancer surgery”, and “physiotherapy/physical therapy and breast cancer surgery” were categorized as useful or misleading by a doctor and a physiotherapist. The videos were analyzed using the five-point DISCERN scale for reliability, the five-point Global Quality Scale (GQS) for quality, and a 10-item scale for comprehensiveness. Results Of the 180 videos initially analyzed, 82 were included in the study, and 42 (51.2%) were classified as having misleading information and 40 (48.8%) as having useful information. The reliability, content and quality scores of the videos containing useful information were higher (p<0.001). Most of the videos in the useful information group (80%) were uploaded by universities/professional organizations/physicians/physiotherapists, while the majority of those in the misleading information group (47.6%) were uploaded by websites providing independent healthcare information. The total and daily views of the videos were higher in the useful information group than in the misleading information group (p<0.001 and p=0.004, respectively). When the video parameters were evaluated between the two groups, no significant difference was found in the number of likes and comments and video length. Conclusion YouTube can be an important instrument to protect patients from musculoskeletal system complications after breast cancer surgery and improve existing complications. Universities, physicians, and physiotherapists should be encouraged to prepare more videos containing full and accurate information on this subject.