June 1, 2021

Febrile Seizure: What Information Can Caregivers Access Through YouTube?

Abstract, published in Seizure

Introduction: To analyze the content of Korean YouTube videos related to febrile seizures and examine the general characteristics, reliability, and quality of the videos.

Method: A search of YouTube was performed using three Korean keywords meaning “febrile seizure”, and a total of 1,641 videos were identified. Among them, 73 eligible videos were analyzed for their characteristics, quality, and reliability. The quality and reliability were rated using global quality (GQS) on a scale of 1-5 and the DISCERN instrument.

Results: The mean reliability and quality scores were 2.37±1.16 and 3.11±1.17 out of 5, respectively. Fifty-one of the 73 (69.8%) videos are related to febrile seizure management. Longer videos (13.94±20.06 vs 6.68±7.34) and videos with physicians (82.61% vs 32.00%) as the main speaker were higher quality.

Discussion: Both the quality and reliability of YouTube videos on febrile seizures were relatively low, and approximately only 30% of all videos were classified as high quality. Healthcare professionals should be aware that there is misinformation and low-quality information on social media and warn parents of this issue.

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