Evaluation of Accuracy and Engagement of Otolaryngology Educational Videos on Instagram

Objective: To examine the accuracy, engagement, and quality of otolaryngology-related educational videos produced by health care providers on Instagram. Methods: A systematic search on Instagram was conducted to identify the top 150 video posts using the hashtags #Otolaryngology, #Otolaryngologist, and #ENTeducation, ranging from September 2020 to January 2024. Posts not related to otolaryngology medical education were excluded from analysis. Engagement metrics such as likes, comments, shares, views, and video duration were used to quantify the reach of the content. The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials was utilized to evaluate the understandability and actionability of medical educational videos. Results: 54 Instagram videos were analyzed and categorized by content type based on their primary topic—ear (n = 15), nose (n = 20), and throat (n = 19). Overall, 85% of the content was completely accurate, 13% was incomplete/misleading, and 2% was completely inaccurate. The average understandability was high at 89%, and the average actionability was low at 39%. 78% of the videos were created by otolaryngologists, 7% by plastic surgeons, and 15% by other health care providers. Conclusions: Most of the top otolaryngology-related educational content on Instagram was accurate with some misleading and inaccurate content. Although the inaccurate video is small in comparison, the moderate user engagement reveals that even a single inaccurate video can adversely reach and influence many people.