YouTube as a Source for Clavicle Fracture Education: A Quality, Comprehensibility, and Reliability Assessment

Background Clavicle fractures are common injuries, and patients frequently seek supplemental information online. YouTube is widely used for health-related content, but the quality and completeness of information related to clavicle fractures are not well defined. This study evaluated the reliability, comprehensibility, and educational completeness of clavicle fracture videos on YouTube. Methods A systematic search of YouTube was performed using four clavicle fracture–related terms. After screening for eligibility, the 50 most-viewed English-language videos were analyzed. Videos were categorized by source and content type. Reliability was assessed using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Benchmark Criteria; comprehensibility was rated on a 4-point scale; and educational completeness was evaluated using an 18-point Clavicle Fracture Rating (CFR). Two independent reviewers scored all videos. Nonparametric analyses, including Kruskal–Wallis tests and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests with Holm correction, were applied. Results The median CFR score was 3 (Q1=1, Q3=6). The mean JAMA score was 1.4, and the mean comprehensibility score was 3.46. Physician-generated videos demonstrated significantly higher JAMA scores than patient-generated videos (p < 0.01), whereas patient-generated videos showed significantly higher comprehensibility (p < 0.01). YouTube "shorts" had significantly lower CFR scores (mean 0.8) than standard-length videos (mean 4.3; p < 0.01). Across all categories, essential elements of clavicle fracture evaluation and management were infrequently addressed. Conclusion YouTube videos related to clavicle fractures demonstrated low reliability and limited educational completeness, despite generally favorable comprehensibility. These findings suggest that commonly viewed online resources provide insufficient information for patient education.