Educational Quality of YouTube™ Videos on Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy.

Abstract

Introduction: Prostate cancer is the most prevalent urogenital cancer among males. Radical prostatectomy remains the gold standard for localized prostate cancer treatment, with minimally invasive procedures (laparoscopic, robot-assisted laparoscopic) increasingly replacing open surgeries. YouTube™, a popular digital platform, hosts a substantial volume of prostate cancer-related videos, presenting a mix of accurate and misleading content. Given these challenges, researchers have proposed evaluation frameworks to assess the quality of YouTube™ videos. This study evaluates the educational adequacy and contextual relevance of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) videos on YouTube™ using established video evaluation criteria. Methods: A search using the keyword "Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy" yielded 200 YouTube™ videos. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 131 videos were analyzed by three laparoscopic prostatectomy specialists. An evaluation was performed using scoring systems, including LAP-VEGaS, DISCERN, JAMA, GQS, and video power index (VPI). Results: Of the 131 videos, 88 (67%) were from individual participants (Group 1), and 43 (33%) were from corporate channels (Group 2). Group 2 demonstrated significantly higher JAMA, GQS, and mDISCERN scores (P = .028, .005, and .001, respectively). The LAP-VEGaS score was also higher in Group 2 (7.09 ± 0.43) compared to Group 1 (5.08 ± 0.26; P < .001). VPI values were significantly greater in Group 2 (P = .008). Conclusion: This study highlights a critical gap in the educational quality of LRP videos on YouTube™. Using comprehensive scoring systems, corporate channels consistently provided higher-quality educational content compared to individual contributors.