(875) Quality Assessment of TikTok Videos on Ménière's Disease: Implications for Patient Education

Introduction: TikTok has emerged as a widely used platform for health information, particularly among patients with chronic conditions such as Ménière’s disease. This study evaluates the quality, reliability, understandability, and actionability of TikTok videos related to Ménière’s disease to assess their educational value and inform physician engagement strategies on social media.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of 171 unique TikTok videos identified using the hashtags #MenieresDisease and #Meniere’s on July 7, 2025. Three independent reviewers evaluated videos using validated instruments, including the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials (PEMAT-AV), the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria, and the Global Quality Score (GQS). Videos were categorized by uploader type and analyzed for video length and engagement metrics.

Results: The 171 videos analyzed accrued over 7.9 million views and 21,000 shares. Most videos were produced by non-medical influencers or lay individuals, with limited representation from medical professionals. Content predominantly consisted of experiential patient narratives. Mean PEMAT-AV scores for understandability and actionability were 0.56 and 0.19, respectively. The mean JAMA score was 1.83/4.00; all videos met currency criteria, while none met disclosure criteria. The mean GQS was 2.49/5.00, with no significant differences by uploader type. However, videos produced by medical professionals had higher mean JAMA and PEMAT-AV scores than those produced by laypersons. Overall, video quality was moderate, with notable deficiencies in actionability and evidence-based guidance.

Conclusions: TikTok content related to Ménière’s disease exhibits variable quality, limited physician participation, and significant gaps in evidence-based information. Physician-generated content outperforms lay content in reliability and educational value, underscoring the need for increased otolaryngologist engagement on social media to improve patient access to accurate health information.