YouTube as a Source of Information for Creating Awareness on Eye Donation: A Cross-sectional, Content Analysis Study

Purpose: Social media platforms like YouTube are a potential source of health information. This study was conducted to evaluate the quality and relevance of awareness-related eye donation videos on the YouTube platform. Materials and Methods: Ninety-four videos were analysed using tools such as the Quality Criteria for Consumer Health Information (DISCERN), the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) instrument, Global Quality Score (GQS) and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audio Visual materials (PEMAT-A/V). The study included descriptive analysis and substantive content analysis of videos regarding some important criteria in creating awareness. Results: The overall quality of the videos using DISCERN score was ‘Average’ (46.34 and 45.26 out of a maximum of 75 points as scored by two reviewers). The credibility of the source of videos had a mean of 2.49 out of 4 as per the JAMA score. Usefulness of the videos for the public, as per GQS, had a mean of 2.05 out of 5. Videos had a very good actionability score (66%–67%) and understandability score (71%–72%) as per PEMAT A/V. One-third of the videos provided information on measures to be taken immediately after the death of the donor and attempted to clear the misconceptions. Animated videos had better audience engagement. Conclusion: YouTube videos for awareness on eye donation are easy to understand, but do not provide high-quality information. Awareness videos should incorporate scientific content and expert advice, use simple language and subtitles, use a descriptive title for the video and specify the target audience.