The quality of breast cancer screening information on TikTok varies widely, according to research published January 7 in Clinical Imaging.
A team led by Imran Bitar from Oakland University in Rochester, MN, reported that TikTok videos created by physicians and clinics are more reliable and comprehensive than those created by nonphysicians.
“Improving clarity and reliability of social media health content could enhance public understanding and encourage informed screening behaviors,” the Bitar team wrote.
Social media platforms like TikTok have become a source of health information, with younger populations using these platforms more. While social media can be valuable for patient education and support, it can also spread misinformation that may sow confusion and distrust toward established healthcare recommendations.
Bitar and colleagues used the DISCERN tool to evaluate the quality and reliability of breast cancer screening information on TikTok. They compared scores across content creators, including physicians, nonphysicians, and private clinics.
Created and validated in 1999, the DISCERN tool contains 15 questions that may be rated on a scale of 1 to 5. It was created to help consumers measure the quality of written health information. Prior research suggests that the tool can successfully evaluate TikTok videos in other medical domains, including spine surgery and laser refractive surgery.
The researchers analyzed 75 TikTok videos, finding them by using #BreastCancerScreening in TikTok’s search engine. Two reviewers independently evaluated each video using the DISCERN tool. The researchers also categorized videos by content creator type, gender, physician specialty, and video format.
Of the total videos, 31 were created by physicians, 23 by nonphysicians, and 21 by private clinics. Physician-created videos received the highest average DISCERN score at 3.12, followed by videos created by private clinics (3.07) and those created by nonphysicians (2.29).
Also, videos focusing on breast cancer imaging scored highest at 3.14, while those based on personal experiences scored lowest at 2.35.
Kruskal-Wallis testing revealed significant differences in DISCERN scores across creator types (p < 0.001). And post-hoc analysis showed that physician and private clinic videos scored significantly higher than nonphysician videos (p < 0.05).
Finally, interrater reliability analysis using weighted kappa showed moderate agreement for physician videos (kappa = 0.5), fair agreement for nonphysician videos (kappa = 0.27), and very good agreement for private clinic videos (kappa = 0.81).
The study authors suggested that both physician and nonphysician creators “must balance entertainment with educational value, ensuring that content is not only engaging but also medically accurate and reliable.”
Strategies they outlined include collaborations between professional medical societies and content creators, development of verified health information channels, and integration of evidence-based guidelines into platform-supported educational campaigns.
“Furthermore, improving health care and educational literacy surrounding breast cancer on TikTok requires all creators to understand the platform’s role as an entertainment and education hub and deliver engaging content that provides the public with relevant and verifiable medical information,” the authors added.
Read the full study here.