A study published in Scientific Reports found that while healthcare professionals post more credible TikTok videos about sudden cardiac death, their content receives less engagement compared to videos made by non-experts. The research analyzed the quality, sentiment, and engagement of 83 English-language TikTok videos related to sudden cardiac death (SCD), selected from top search results using two hashtags.
The findings matter because TikTok is a major source of health information for younger audiences. Despite the higher quality and credibility of content produced by healthcare professionals, it is often overshadowed by more popular but less reliable posts from non-medical creators. This gap raises concerns about the accuracy of widely consumed health information on social media platforms.
Researchers used several tools adapted for video analysis—including the DISCERN scale, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark, and CRAAP test—to assess video quality. Healthcare professional (HCP) videos scored significantly higher across all three measures but were typically longer and had lower rates of reshares and favorites than those posted by non-HCPs. While more non-HCP videos showed positive sentiment, this difference was not statistically significant.
According to the study, HCP-created content provided clearer aims, better source identification, balanced perspectives on treatment options and risks, as well as stronger authorship attribution and avoidance of promotional motives. Video duration and number of reshares were positively associated with quality scores; however, overall engagement metrics like comments or likes did not show a strong link to information accuracy or credibility.
The authors noted that these results highlight a need for strategies that can boost both the reach and impact of professional health information online. They also cautioned that their study's cross-sectional design—focusing only on highly ranked English-language videos under two hashtags—and reliance on adapted scoring tools mean that findings should be interpreted carefully.
Looking ahead, experts suggest further research could explore how best to promote accurate medical information within fast-moving social media environments.
