Exploring Digital Dermatology: An Analysis of Ichthyosis Content on TikTok

TL;DR

This study analyzes the top TikTok videos about ichthyosis, comparing content from physicians and nonphysicians in terms of popularity and quality.

Contribution

The study provides insights into the role of physicians in improving the quality of health information on TikTok.

Findings

Nonphysician videos had higher views, likes, and comments but lower DISCERN scores.

Physician and educational content scored highest on the DISCERN quality scale.

Physicians are seen as trustworthy sources of health information on TikTok.

Abstract

Background

TikTok is among the most popular social media sites, and its utilization for health information is growing each day. The present study assesses the popularity and quality of the top 100 most-liked videos on TikTok tagged with “#ichthyosis.” This study aims to do so by assessing contributions from physician, and nonphysician sources (such as from patients) to guide healthcare professionals interested in leveraging this platform for public health.

Methodology

A cross-sectional analysis of the top 100 most-liked videos tagged with “#ichythosis” on TikTok as of January 3, 2024, was conducted. The parameters assessed for this study include observable characteristics, content type, and whether the creator was a physician or nonphysician. The quality of the content was measured using the DISCERN scale.

Results

Based on these results, 14 of the top 100 videos were posted by physicians with 1,912,975 as the mean number of views. There were 86 videos posted by nonphysician creators averaging 2,675,341 views. Videos posted by nonphysician creators had a higher average number of views, number of likes, and number of comments but less average saves. Videos made by physicians and educational content had the highest average DISCERN scores, whereas nonphysician, awareness, and personal experience content had the lowest average DISCERN scores.

Conclusions

Physicians are deemed trustworthy, reliable sources of healthcare-related information on TikTok. This study emphasizes the importance of physicians continuing to provide reliable, evidence-based health information on social media platforms such as TikTok.