Quality and reliability of myelodysplastic syndromes-related health information on Chinese short-video platforms: a multi-platform cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are common hematologic malignancies among older adults. With the rapid growth of short-video platforms, patients increasingly seek MDS-related health information online; however, the quality of MDS-related health information available on short-video platforms has not been systematically evaluated.

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the quality and reliability of MDS-related short videos across three major Chinese platforms and examined the relationship between content quality and user engagement.

METHODS

Between June 25 and June 30, 2026, a total of 210 MDS-related videos were systematically collected from TikTok (Chinese version: Douyin), Bilibili, and Xiaohongshu (70 videos per platform). Video metadata were extracted, and content quality was independently evaluated using three validated instruments: the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria, and the Global Quality Scale (GQS). An overall quality score (SUM) was calculated by combining the three assessment tools. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to examine the associations between user engagement metrics and content quality.

RESULTS

Bilibili videos demonstrated the highest overall educational quality (mean SUM score: 9.79 ± 2.35), whereas TikTok generated the greatest user engagement (median number of likes: 81.00). Videos produced by professional creators achieved significantly higher scores across all quality assessment instruments than those produced by non-professional creators (mean SUM score: 8.81 vs. 5.03, p < 0.001). No significant associations were observed between any user engagement metric and content quality. Video duration was the only variable positively correlated with content quality (r = 0.332, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

User engagement was disconnected from information quality in MDS-related short videos. Professional creators provided greater educational value without consistently receiving commensurate engagement. Digital health communication should prioritize expert-led content, transparent source attribution, and quality-informed dissemination.