Evaluation of YouTube Bariatric Surgery Videos in the Context of Medical Tourism

IntroductionThe increasing prevalence of obesity has led to the popularity of bariatric and metabolic surgery, often sought through medical tourism due to constraints within public healthcare systems. This study aimed to examine the quality and impact of YouTube videos related to bariatric surgery within the context of medical tourism.Materials and methodsIn June 2023, a YouTube search for "Bariatric Surgery Medical Tourism" and "Obesity Surgery Medical Tourism" yielded the top 200 videos, from which 33 were chosen after applying exclusion criteria. These videos underwent further screening based on source, duration, and content. Quality was assessed using established scales, including the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) criteria, the Global Quality Scale (GQS), and modified DISCERN score.ResultsThirty-three videos were chosen for comprehensive analysis. Among the videos, 48.5% portrayed patient experiences in the context of medical tourism bariatric surgery, providing valuable insights. The videos had varying durations and engagement metrics, with an average GQS score of 2.09, JAMA score of 2.57, and DISCERN score of 3.06. Notably, videos depicting patient experiences had distinct characteristics and higher evaluation scores, emphasizing their significance within the study.ConclusionThis study assessed YouTube videos related to bariatric surgery within the realm of medical tourism. The research illuminated diverse facets of medical tourism concerning obesity surgery and the quality of information disseminated on YouTube. Although patient experience videos received higher quality ratings, the overall reliability and content diversity underscored the potential and challenges of utilizing YouTube as an information source for medical tourism.