The current status and future directions of short video dissemination on urolithiasis via the TikTok platform: a cross-sectional study

Urolithiasis is a common and highly recurrent urological disorder. With the growing role of short video platforms in health communication, Douyin (TikTok) has become an important medium for public medical education. However, the quality and user engagement characteristics of urolithiasis-related content remain insufficiently evaluated. This study aimed to assess the content quality and user engagement of urolithiasis-related videos on TikTok and to explore how video source, content theme, and presentation style are associated with educational value and audience response. A total of 400 Chinese-language TikTok videos across five stone types, including renal, ureteral, bladder, urethral, and urinary tract stones, were analyzed. Content quality was evaluated using four validated instruments, namely the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) Benchmark Criteria, Global Quality Scale (GQS), modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) instrument, and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT). User engagement metrics included likes, comments, shares, and saves. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine variations in quality and engagement across source, content, and presentation form. Overall content quality was low (mean JAMA 1.23; GQS 2.84; mDISCERN 3.09). Videos focusing on prevention and recurrence demonstrated higher PEMAT understandability and actionability scores and were associated with greater user engagement. Hospital- and news agency–based videos showed higher content quality; however, lower engagement was primarily observed in hospital-based videos. Animation and image-text formats were associated with improved understandability. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)–themed videos, although less frequent, demonstrated relatively high actionability and user engagement. The quality and communication effectiveness of urolithiasis-related videos on TikTok varied substantially. Prevention-oriented content, culturally relevant framing, and visually supported formats were associated with improved user engagement and understanding. Integrating evidence-based information with platform-adaptive design may enhance the effectiveness of digital health communication.