Evaluating the accuracy, quality, and reliability of septoplasty-related content on TikTok.

INTRODUCTION

TikTok has become a major source of health information, but concerns remain regarding the quality and reliability of medical content. Septoplasty is one of the most performed otolaryngologic procedures and is frequently discussed on the platform. We seek to evaluate the quality, reliability, and accuracy of septoplasty-related content on TikTok.

METHODS

A cross-sectional content analysis of publicly available TikTok videos was conducted between April and May 2025. Videos were identified using the search terms "septoplasty," "deviated septum," and "septal reconstruction." After screening, 173 videos were included for analysis using the Global Quality Scale (GQS) and modified DISCERN (mDISCERN); 74 videos contained sufficient health information for evaluation with the Accuracy in Digital-health Instrument (ANDI). Descriptive and comparative analyses assessed content quality, reliability, accuracy, and engagement across creator types.

RESULTS

Overall, videos demonstrated moderate accuracy (mean ANDI 2.82), low-to-moderate quality (mean GQS 2.31), and low reliability (mean mDISCERN 0.78). Most videos (67.1%) were created by non-health care professionals. Physician-created videos had significantly higher accuracy, quality, and reliability scores than nonphysician videos (all P ≤ .001). Engagement metrics did not differ significantly by creator type (all P > .30). Verified account status was the factor most consistently associated with higher engagement.

CONCLUSION

Septoplasty-related TikTok content demonstrates moderate accuracy but generally low reliability and quality. Content created by physicians and other healthcare professionals demonstrated higher accuracy, quality, and reliability than content created by non-healthcare professionals. These findings support greater participation by qualified healthcare professionals in disseminating evidence-based information on social media, although the effects of such content on viewer understanding and healthcare decision-making were not assessed.