YouTube videos on cataract surgery outperform ophthalmology sources in understandability, study finds
YouTube videos on cataract surgery are more understandable and actionable for patients than videos from established ophthalmology organizations like the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the National Eye Institute (NEI), according to a paper presented at the 2025 ASCRS Annual Meeting.
Researchers analyzed the top 10 most-viewed YouTube videos on cataract surgery and compared them to 35 videos from the AAO and the NEI. Videos were assessed using PEMAT for understandability and actionability and JAMA benchmarks for content quality.
YouTube videos were found to have significantly higher scores in both understandability (85.5%) and actionability (66.7%) compared to AAO and NEI content. However, while YouTube scored better on these patient-centered metrics, JAMA scores, reflecting transparency and credibility, were only slightly higher.
Reference
Ahmed S, et al. Reliability of Audiovisual Information on Cataract Surgery from Ophthalmology Organizations. Presented at: American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Annual Meeting; April 25–28, 2025; Los Angeles, CA.
Related Content
