ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Pulmonary Medicine
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1613526
This article is part of the Research TopicDigital Information for Patient Education, Volume IIView all 9 articles
Content Accuracy and Reliability of Pulmonary Nodule Information on Social Media Platforms: A Cross-Platform Study of YouTube, Bilibili, and TikTok
Provisionally accepted
- 1Qi Huang Chinese Medicine Academy, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Nanchang, China
- 2School of Clinical Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Nanchang, China
- 3Pulmonary Disease Department, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China
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Background: Pulmonary nodules (PNs) are often overlooked, potentially leading to health risks. Social media platforms are increasingly used for health information dissemination. This study evaluates the quality and engagement of PN-related videos on YouTube, Bilibili, and TikTok. Methods: On March 1, 2025, we searched each platform using "pulmonary nodule" or its Chinese equivalent. After screening, 271 videos were analyzed. Video characteristics were documented, and quality was assessed using PEMAT, VIQI, GQS, and mDISCERN tools. Inter-rater reliability was high (κ = 0.81). Results: The final sample included 98 (YouTube), 74 (Bilibili), and 99 (TikTok) videos. TikTok videos were shortest (median 114 s) yet had highest engagement. Nonprofit organizations dominated YouTube uploads; physicians were most common on Bilibili and TikTok. Treatment was the most covered topic. YouTube scored highest in comprehensibility and actionability (PEMAT-T/A), while Bilibili and TikTok scored higher in production quality (VIQI, GQS). Video quality did not differ significantly between professional and non-professional uploaders. Most quality metrics showed weak correlation with audience engagement. Conclusion: Long-form platforms (YouTube, Bilibili) offer higher-quality PN information but lower engagement, whereas short-form platforms (TikTok) show high interaction but lower informational depth. Social media can play a supportive role in public PN education. We provide recommendations for creators, platforms, and viewers to improve the quality and reliability of medical content.
Keywords: pulmonary nodule1, public health2, Social Media3, Online video4, Information quality5
Received: 12 Jun 2025; Accepted: 02 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhou, Zeng, Yuan, Wang, Wu, Du, Wang and He. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Lihua Wang, Pulmonary Disease Department, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi Province, China
Jun He, Pulmonary Disease Department, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi Province, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.