Elif BEYOĞLU, Muhammed Mustafa BEYOĞLU
Eurasian Clinical and Analytical Medicine - 2026;14(2):24-29
Aim: The aim of this study is to assess and evaluate the content quality of the most widely viewed YouTube videos addressing sensitive forensic medicine topics with direct societal impact, such as sexual abuse, suicide, and autopsy. Methods: Within the scope of the study, YouTube searches were conducted using the keywords "sexual abuse," "suicide," and "autopsy." The reliability of the retrieved videos was assessed using a modified 5-item DISCERN instrument, while overall information quality was evaluated using the Global Quality Scale (GQS). Based on the scores obtained from these instruments, the videos were classified into three categories: good/excellent, moderate, and low quality. Results: Of the analyzed videos, 12.2% were classified as good/excellent quality, 28.6% as moderate quality, and 59.2% as low quality. Videos in the good/excellent quality group had significantly higher median DISCERN scores compared with those of moderate- and low-quality videos (p<0.001). In contrast, mean GQS and DISCERN scores demonstrated a strong and statistically significant positive correlation with each other (p<0.001, r=0.866). Additionally, total likes showed strong positive correlations with both total number of comments and total view counts (p<0.001, r=0.811 and p<0.001, r=0.813, respectively). Conclusion: A considerable proportion of videos available on the YouTube platform contain inaccurate, misleading, or suboptimal-quality information. These findings highlight the variability in the quality and reliability of forensic-related content shared on digital platforms and underscore the need for improved dissemination and visibility of scientifically reliable/credible information.
