The new checklist to evaluate educational value of YouTube surgical videos of transurethral resection of the prostate

Abstract

Background: Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is a widespread, effective way to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Many medical students and junior clinicians increasingly turn to easily accessible online resources to learn this technique, such as videos on YouTube. This study assessed the educational value of YouTube videos about TURP, which are popular among many young surgeons. Methods: We searched YouTube as of August 2, 2022 for videos fulfilling the search terms "transurethral resection of the prostate", "benign prostatic hyperplasia", "BPH", "TURP", "benign prostatic enlargement", "bladder outlet obstruction" and "lower urinary tract symptom". We assessed the educational value of the identified videos using a custom-designed checklist. Results: We identified 47 relevant videos, 20 of which were posted after July 1, 2020. The average number of views was 576,379±208,535 (range, 54-1,385,713). The average quality score of the videos was 7.38±2.53 (range, 4-12) on a 15-point scale, and 20 were judged to be of low educational quality. Quality scores correlated positively with the number of likes (R=0.596, P<0.01). Conclusions: The educational value of most TURP videos on YouTube appears to be low, with most lacking detailed explanations of preoperative preparations and the surgical procedure. High-quality video resources about TURP need to be developed for medical students and junior surgeons. Standard quality criteria should also be developed and disseminated to ensure the production of accurate learning resources for junior clinicians.