Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Mar 12, 2025
Date Accepted: Aug 4, 2025
Quality and reliability of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization videos on TikTok and Bilibili: a cross-sectional content analysis study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a widely used treatment for advanced, unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, often requiring multiple sessions for optimal efficacy. TikTok and Bilibili have gained widespread popularity as easily accessible sources of health information.
Objective:
Our study aims to assess the quality of the information in Chinese short videos on TACE shared on the TikTok and Bilibili.
Methods:
In November 2024, the top 100 TACE-related Chinese-language short videos on TikTok and Bilibili (a total of 200 videos) were assessed and reviewed. Initially, basic information about the videos was recorded and analyzed. Subsequently, two assessment tools—Global Quality Score (GQS) and the DISCERN tool—were used to evaluate the information quality and reliability of the videos on both platforms. Finally, multifactorial analysis was employed to identify potential factors influencing the quality of the videos.
Results:
TikTok is more popular than Bilibili, despite its videos being shorter in length (P＜0.05). The quality of short videos on TACE found on both platforms was of low quality, with average GQS scores of 2.31 (0.81) on TikTok and 2.48 (0.80) on Bilibili, as well as DISCERN scores of 1.93 (0.45) on TikTok and 2.09 (0.47) on Bilibili. The video duration (t=2.050, P=0.042; t=3.558, P＜0.001) and the number of days (t=2.699, P=0.008; t=3.079, P=0.002) since publication were identified as predictive variables for video quality and reliability (t=2.050, P=0.042; t=3.558, P＜0.001). The number of shares was found to be an independent factor influencing video quality (t=2.694, P=0.008), while the number of saves emerged as an independent factor affecting video reliability (t=3.273, P=0.001).
Conclusions:
Our study indicates that the quality of TACE-related health information in short videos on Bilibili and TikTok is suboptimal. Patients should exercise caution when relying on health-related information from these platforms. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the limitations of these videos and work to improve their quality. It is essential for the platforms to enhance their recommendation algorithms and implement measures for video quality assessment, especially when the content aims to educate and raise awareness on health-related topics. Clinical Trial: Not applicable
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