Potentially Harmful Health Impacts on Women Due to Misleading Cancer Information in TikTok Videos.
A recent research conducted by Ohio State University revealed that most TikTok content addressing gynecologic cancer contained falsehoods or inaccuracies.
A recent study published in the journal Gynecologic Oncology discovered that a significant portion of gynecologic cancer-related content on the video-sharing platform TikTok is either misleading or lacks educational quality. This could potentially harm women seeking reliable health information.
Launched in 2017, TikTok has swiftly emerged as one of the globe’s most popular social media platforms, boasting 1.7 billion users as of March 2023.2 However, the platform has faced widespread condemnation due to the prevalence of misinformation in content created by users. A particular inquiry revealed that nearly 20% of the content on the app featured inaccurate or deceptive assertions.
Researchers from Ohio State University’s Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute carried out a study with the aim of analyzing the themes, quality, and reliability of TikTok content related to gynecologic cancer.
The objective of this study was to grasp the unexpressed needs of patients within the clinical setting, which often signify gaps in care that require attention,” stated Laura Chambers, the senior author of the study, in a press release. “As healthcare professionals, our primary focus tends to be on treatment side effects and patient outcomes, but it’s important to recognize that many of our patients are grappling with profound challenges in their personal lives, such as finding ways to nurture and support their children during the exhausting phases of their treatments.
In August 2022, the research team conducted a comprehensive examination of TikTok by scrutinizing the 500 most widely-viewed posts and the top 5 trending hashtags related to ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, cervical cancer, vulvar cancer, and gestational trophoblastic disease. Additionally, the researchers gathered data pertaining to demographic details, the emotional tone of messages, and the prevalent thematic subjects.
The researchers employed a adapted version of the DISCERN scale to assess the quality and trustworthiness of educational videos. The DISCERN scale is a tool that empowers both patients and information providers to assess the quality of written information concerning treatment choices.
Collectively, the search results revealed that the leading 5 hashtags associated with each cancer type amassed a total of more than 466 million views. Out of the top 500 videos, 430 adhered to the study’s inclusion criteria. These videos encompassed 11 predominant themes, covering aspects such as the cancer journey, symptoms of diagnosis, and educational content. In terms of creators’ racial backgrounds, the majority were White, constituting 7.7% of the total, followed by Black at 4.6%, Asian/Pacific Islander at 2.3%, and Hispanic at 5.5%
Researchers discovered that a significant 73% of the content was factually incorrect. The median DISCERN score for posts was 1, suggesting subpar educational quality and reliability. When categorizing by the creators’ ethnic backgrounds, Asian/Pacific Islander posters obtained the highest scores, followed by Black, Hispanic, and White posters, in that order.
The openness exhibited in social media content detailing personal cancer journeys is truly inspiring. However, this data strongly prompts us, as a medical community, to explore how we can create a healthcare environment that fosters such trust and authentic dialogue with patients,” Chambers expressed. “Furthermore, it raises the question of what steps we, as a broader community, can take to offer high-quality health information and support services to individuals seeking information regarding gynecologic cancers.
