Evaluating the quality and reliability of radiation dermatitis related videos on Douyin and Bilibili: a cross-sectional analysis.

BACKGROUND

Radiation dermatitis (RD), a common adverse reaction to radiotherapy (RT), is widely discussed on video-sharing platforms. However, user-generated content about RD lacks systematic scientific validation. This study evaluates the reliability and quality of RD-related videos on two major social media platforms: Douyin and Bilibili.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study on Douyin and Bilibili, using keywords including "radiation dermatitis ()," "radiotherapy-induced dermatitis ()," "radiation skin injury ()," and "radiation dermatitis care ()". A total of 190 eligible short videos were included for analysis. We collected data on video characteristics, including title, uploader identity, upload date, video duration, content type, engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares, saves), presentation format, and quality scores. Video quality and reliability were assessed using the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria, and the Global Quality Scale (GQS) by two independent reviewers.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed that Douyin videos were significantly shorter in duration than those on Bilibili (p < 0.05), yet they demonstrated higher audience engagement. Douyin yielded significantly higher median mDISCERN and JAMA scores than Bilibili, while the between-group difference in GQS scores did not reach statistical significance. Videos created by professional healthcare providers demonstrated higher reliability and quality, with mDISCERN scores of 3 and GQS scores of 3. Correlation analysis revealed a strong significant positive correlation between video shares and saves. Engagement metrics showed positive correlations with all three quality scores but with gradient differences in strength: strong correlations with mDISCERN scores, moderate correlations with GQS scores, and weak correlations with JAMA scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Social media platforms support the dissemination of RD-related health information to some extent, but the overall quality of videos remains suboptimal. We recommend that professional healthcare providers obtain official platform certification to promote the spread of high-quality RD-related content.