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P296 Millions of views, questionable value: a content analysis of educational quality in tiktok videos on epidural anaesthesia

rapm · 2025-09-10 · canonical JSON source

2 visible annotations · policy: published · automated confidence ≥ 75.00%

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Application for ESRA Abstract Prizes:Background and Aims Epidural anaesthesia is the most common method of labor analgesia. As TikTok becomes an increasingly used source for health information, concerns have emerged about the accuracy and quality of its medical content. This study assesses the quality and engagement of TikTok videos on obstetric epidural anesthesia.Methods Using the keyword ‘epidural,’ 100 TikTok videos were screened. Exclusion criteria included non-English, duplicates, unrelated topics, or primarily narrative (patient stories) or comedic (medical satire) content. Twenty videos met inclusion criteria. Two reviewers independently evaluated each video using mDISCERN, Global Quality Scale (GQS), and the PEMAT-AV tool. Engagement metrics and uploader background (physician vs. non-physician) were recorded. Inter-rater reliability was assessed with Cohen’s kappa and Pearson correlation.Results Inter-rater agreement was fair for mDISCERN (κ = 0.225) and slight for GQS (κ = 0.021). Mean scores were low: mDISCERN = 2.25, GQS = 2.6, and PEMAT Total = 63.9%, reflecting poor overall educational quality. Videos averaged 1.1 million views, 68,469 likes, and 1,018 comments, yet engagement showed no correlation with quality. Notably, comment count negatively correlated with PEMAT scores (r = –0.44), suggesting more interactive videos may be less educational. Physician-created videos had higher GQS scores, while non-physicians scored better in understandability. Of 100 screened videos, 33 were narrative and 13 were comedic—excluded due to format—which may contribute to normalisation or trivialisation of the procedure.Conclusions Despite broad reach, TikTok videos on epidural anaesthesia demonstrate low educational quality. Given the platform’s influence, physicians must contribute accurate, high-quality content to counter misinformation and support informed decision-making.