Assessing the presence of rhinological surgery on social media: Factors influencing searches

Objective

To evaluate the quality and engagement of rhinology-related educational videos shared by healthcare providers on Instagram.

Methods

The top 150 videos on Instagram for #SinusSurgeryEducation, #TurbinateReductionEducation, and #SeptoplastyEducation were selected. Videos were categorized by provider's specialty and analyzed for engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares, views), video duration, and hashtags. The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool Audio/Visual (PEMAT-A/V) was used to assess the understandability and actionability of the medical educational videos.

Results

Sixty-three videos were analyzed: septoplasty education (26 videos), turbinate reduction education (17 videos), and sinus surgery education (20 videos). Of these, 88 % were classified as medical education content, while 12% focused on before-and-after surgery visualizations.

Among the educational content, 38 % were by otolaryngologists, 32 % by plastic surgeons, and 30 % by other providers such as anesthesiologists and chiropractors. Content created by plastic surgeons received higher engagement metrics compared to otolaryngologists. The average PEMAT-A/V scores were 75 % for understandability and 37 % for actionability.

Conclusion

Our analysis reveals that plastic surgeons and otolaryngologists are using social media for medical education, with content demonstrating moderate engagement and quality understandability. As social media continues to evolve as a source for disseminating health-related information, providers should strive to understand its mechanisms and impacts.