Background No studies have evaluated Crohn's disease-related video quality on short video platforms. This study assesses the quality, reliability, and audience engagement of such videos on Douyin and Xiaohongshu to guide patients and healthcare professionals. Methods The top 100 videos from each platform were retrieved using “Crohn's disease” as the keyword. Quality was evaluated using modified DISCERN, JAMA, and PEMAT tools. Comment themes were extracted to identify audience concerns. Results Of 200 videos analyzed, overall JAMA and mDISCERN scores ranged from 2–3. Douyin videos showed higher quality and engagement: higher DISCERN scores (IQR 2.00–2.00 vs 1.00–2.00, p < 0.001), better PEMAT operability (IQR 0.50–0.75 vs 0.25–0.50, p = 0.002), longer duration (100 s vs 67.5 s, p < 0.001), and more interactions. Douyin was dominated by gastroenterologists (71%), while Xiaohongshu had more individual users (50%). Douyin emphasized prognosis and diagnosis; Xiaohongshu focused on treatment and care. Nursing-related videos scored lowest in quality, while follow-up content had the highest operability and engagement. Conclusion Douyin provides higher-quality Crohn's disease content than Xiaohongshu. Key issues include low dissemination of professional content and poor-quality nursing information. Recommendations are threefold: for content creators to improve video quality; for platforms to institute medical review mechanisms for care content; and for patients and the public to practice critical thinking. These measures can support a precise, effective, and scientifically-grounded digital health knowledge ecosystem.
Cai et al. (Sun,) studied this question.