Quality Variation of Osteogenesis Imperfecta Videos on YouTube: A Viewership-Based Evaluation
Süleyman Kozlu1, Enes Alptekin Canlı11Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Kutahya Health Sciences University, Kutahya, Türkiye
Objectives: To evaluate the educational quality, reliability, and timeliness of Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) videos on YouTube, examine relationships with popularity indicators (views, likes), and analyze quality differences across source types. Methods: In May 2024, a standard YouTube search was conducted for "Osteogenesis Imperfecta" and "Brittle Bone Disease." The first 200 videos sorted by relevance were screened, and 27 eligible English videos were analyzed. Reliability was scored using JAMA Benchmark Criteria (1–4) and educational quality via Global Quality Score (GQS, 1–5). Sources were classified (academic, patient narrative, documentary) and compared using Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn tests. Results: The overall mean JAMA and GQS scores were 2.27 and 3.02. Patient stories garnered the highest engagement but the lowest quality scores (JAMA 2.10; GQS 2.60). Academic videos were significantly superior to patient stories in both JAMA (p=0.027) and GQS (p=0.013). While views and likes strongly correlated (r=0.93), popularity indicators showed a weak, insignificant negative correlation with quality scores (r= –0.14 to –0.20). Conclusion: YouTube OI videos offer moderate educational quality. Although academic content is scientifically superior, viewer popularity is heavily concentrated in lower-quality patient narratives. This disparity highlights an urgent need for institutions to produce more visible, validated content. Keywords: GQS, JAMA, Osteogenesis imperfecta, Patient education, YouTube
Cite This Article
Kozlu S, Canlı E. Quality Variation of Osteogenesis Imperfecta Videos on YouTube: A Viewership-Based Evaluation. EJMI. 2026; 10(1): 60-64
Corresponding Author: Süleyman Kozlu