YouTube and Bilibili as sources of information on oral cancer: cross-sectional content analysis study

Abstract This study aims to assess the informational quality of oral cancer-related videos on YouTube and Bilibili. A total of 300 oral cancer-related videos meeting the inclusion criteria were selected from YouTube (150 videos from 111 uploaders) and Bilibili (150 videos from 134 uploaders) for evaluation and analysis. YouTube videos were more popular in terms of views and likes, whereas the average likes per 30 days and comments showed no significant difference between the two platforms. The uploaders from YouTube mainly consisted of hospitals/non-profit organizations (66.7%) and companies with profit (17.1%), while Bilibili's uploaders mainly were self-media (55.2%) and doctors (29.1%). YouTube videos covered more topics than those on Bilibili. Solo narration was the most common video style across all platforms, but TV shows/documentaries were more popular on YouTube (31.3%). The video quality was assessed using the four tools as follows: Though mDISCERN (modified DISCERN) and PEMAT-Actionability (Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool) were similar across platforms, YouTube videos scored higher on PEMAT-Understandability, VIQI (Video Information and Quality Index), and GQS (Global Quality Score) than Bilibili videos. Videos from health professionals were deemed more reliable. Spearman correlation analysis revealed no strong relationships between the video quality and the audience interaction. In conclusion, YouTube videos demonstrated higher audience interactions and quality but both platforms still require improvements. More professional content creators and platform algorithm optimization are necessary to promote high-quality health information.