Quality Assessment of Radiotherapy Health Information on Short-Form Video Platforms of TikTok and Bilibili: Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Radiotherapy (RT) is a crucial modality in cancer treatment. In recent years, the rise of short-form video platforms has transformed how the public accesses medical information. TikTok and Bilibili, as leading short-video platforms, have emerged as significant channels for disseminating health information. However, there is an urgent need to evaluate the quality and reliability of the information related to RT available on these platforms. Objective: This study aims to systematically assess the information quality and reliability of RT-related short-form videos on TikTok and Bilibili platforms using the Global Quality Score (GQS) and a modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) evaluation tool, thereby elucidating the current landscape and challenges of digital health communication. Methods: This study systematically retrieved the top 100 RT-related videos on TikTok and Bilibili as of February 25, 2025. The quality of the videos was assessed using the GQS (1‐5 points) and an mDISCERN scoring system (1‐5 points). Statistical analyses were conducted using the Mann-Whitney U test, as well as Spearman and Pearson correlation analyses, to ensure the reliability and validity of the results. Results: A total of 200 short-form videos related to RT were analyzed, revealing that the overall quality of videos on TikTok and Bilibili is unsatisfactory. Specifically, the median GQS for TikTok was 4 (IQR 3‐4), while for Bilibili, it was 3 (IQR 3‐4). The median mDISCERN scores for both platforms were 3 (IQR 2‐4 and 3‐4, respectively), and no significant differences were observed between the 2 platforms regarding the GQS (P=.12) and mDISCERN score (P=.10). On TikTok, 53% (53/100) of videos had a GQS of 4 or higher (“good” quality or better). On Bilibili, 45% (45/100) of videos had an mDISCERN score of 4 or higher, indicating “relatively reliable” quality. Videos produced by professionals, institutions, and nonprofessional institutions had significantly higher mDISCERN scores than those made by patients, with statistical significance (P