Assessing the accuracy and quality of TikTok as a source of medical information on neuraxial labor analgesia

Background

Neuraxial labor analgesia is the most effective method of pain relief during childbirth. Despite its proven efficacy and safety, misconceptions about neuraxial analgesia persist. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and quality of TikTok videos on neuraxial labor analgesia, hypothesizing that many would contain inaccurate or low-quality information.

Methods

Using the “Top” search function in TikTok, we identified the first 150 videos using the following keywords: “epidural,” “epidural for labor,” “epidural for pregnancy,” “epidural experience,” “getting an epidural,” and “epidural risks.” Primary outcomes included the proportion of videos containing inaccurate information and overall quality of videos based on modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) scores.

Results

Twenty-six (10%) of the 266 included videos contained inaccurate information. Median (interquartile range = IQR) mDISCERN score for all included videos was 1.0 (IQR = 2.0), indicating poor quality. Videos from medical sources scored higher in quality (median = 2.0, IQR = 1.0) than non-medical sources (median = 0.0, IQR = 2.0; P <0.001), however both scores were below the mDISCERN threshold for high video-quality.

Conclusion

This study highlights the presence of inaccurate information on popular social media platforms such as TikTok regarding neuraxial labor analgesia. Many videos are of low quality and lack comprehensive, balanced, and unbiased information. This poses a significant risk to patient understanding and informed decision-making. Medical professionals and organizations should actively engage on platforms such as TikTok to disseminate accurate, high-quality information, thereby helping to combat the spread of misleading information.