Impact of YouTube® videos on knowledge on tracheal intubation for anesthesiologist trainees: a prospective observational study.

Background: Social media platforms, initially developed for recreational use, have evolved into major sources for disseminating information, including medical information for patients and healthcare providers in many disciplines. This study aimed to evaluate the educational potential of YouTube® videos in teaching tracheal intubation to first-year anesthesiology residents.

Methods: This study was approved by the Ethical Committee of "University Federico II-AORN A. Cardarelli" (protocol no. 00010735). We analyzed the first 10 YouTube videos identified via the search term "tracheal intubation." Each video was evaluated for misinformation and informational completeness via a 5-item Likert scale. After providing written consent, fifty-seven first-year anesthesiology residents watched these videos and completed a 22-item questionnaire before and after viewing. Each correct answer received one point, whereas incorrect answers received 0 points, allowing for comparisons of knowledge acquisition.

Results: The videos exhibited moderate quality (median score, 3; range, 1-5) and low informational completeness (median score, 1.432; range, 1.000-2.046). Residents' scores increased modestly by one point after viewing (from 13 to 14; p < 0.001). Misinformation was positively correlated with the number of followers (beta coefficient: 0.00002, p < 0.001), video duration (beta coefficient: 0.0042, p < 0.05), and linking ratio (beta coefficient: 0.242, p < 0.05). Conversely, informational completeness was inversely correlated with video duration (beta coefficient: - 0.001121, p < 0.05) and the thumbs-up/view ratio (beta coefficient: - 67.4697, p < 0.05).

Conclusions: While YouTube® has potential as an accessible educational tool, current video selection offers limited improvement in residents' understanding of tracheal intubation. Our findings highlight the need for greater curation and better-quality control of medical educational content on YouTube® to optimize its effectiveness and provide accurate information. Institutions could play a key role in producing reliable, guideline-based videos that better support learning objectives in anesthesiology training.