Assessing the presence of rhinological surgery on social media: Factors influencing searches

Objective: To evaluate the quality and engagement of rhinology-related educational videos shared by healthcare providers on Instagram.

Methods: The top 150 videos on Instagram for #SinusSurgeryEducation, #TurbinateReductionEducation, and #SeptoplastyEducation were selected. Videos were categorized by provider's specialty and analyzed for engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares, views), video duration, and hashtags. The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool Audio/Visual (PEMAT-A/V) was used to assess the understandability and actionability of the medical educational videos.

Results: Sixty-three videos were analyzed: septoplasty education (26 videos), turbinate reduction education (17 videos), and sinus surgery education (20 videos). Of these, 88 % were classified as medical education content, while 12% focused on before-and-after surgery visualizations. Among the educational content, 38 % were by otolaryngologists, 32 % by plastic surgeons, and 30 % by other providers such as anesthesiologists and chiropractors. Content created by plastic surgeons received higher engagement metrics compared to otolaryngologists. The average PEMAT-A/V scores were 75 % for understandability and 37 % for actionability.

Conclusion: Our analysis reveals that plastic surgeons and otolaryngologists are using social media for medical education, with content demonstrating moderate engagement and quality understandability. As social media continues to evolve as a source for disseminating health-related information, providers should strive to understand its mechanisms and impacts.