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Ophthalmology and TikTok: A Study on the Portrayal of Refractive Eye Surgery Procedures on Social Media
The growing popularity of social media platforms like TikTok has facilitated increased discourse on refractive eye surgeries (RESs), such as Laser-Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK), among healthcare providers and patients. This study aims to evaluate the quality, reliability, and user engagement of RES-related content on TikTok, with a focus on comparing content created by ophthalmology-related providers (ORPs) and non-ORPs (patients). A total of 124 videos were analyzed based on understandability, reliability, and accountability, using the PEMAT-A/V, CRAAP, and JAMA Benchmark criteria, respectively. Videos were selected through predefined search terms and hashtags, and statistical analysis was performed using independent two-tailed t-tests. Results showed that ORP videos garnered significantly more views than non-ORP videos (p = 0.027), although user engagement metrics did not differ substantially between the two groups. ORP videos scored higher in both actionability (PEMAT, p = 0.024) and overall quality (CRAAP and JAMA, p = 0.001). Despite these strengths, ORP content frequently omitted explanations of technical jargon and potential negative outcomes such as chronic dry eye or financial conflicts of interest. In contrast, non-ORP content was more transparent about costs and negative experiences but scored lower in reliability and accuracy. This study underscores the need for enhanced regulation and standardized criteria to ensure the dissemination of accurate and transparent RES-related information on social media. Future research should focus on addressing existing gaps in accountability, reliability, and educational quality in TikTok's medical content.