Objective: To evaluate the educational quality, reliability, and popularity of YouTube videos on pes planus using standardized scoring systems and assess their value for patient education.
Materials and
Methods: A YouTube search on March 01, 2024, using “Pes planus,” “flatfoot,” and “flatfeet” yielded 150 English-narrated videos; 103 met the inclusion criteria. Data on views, duration, likes, comments, and video power ındex (VPI) were recorded. Videos were assessed using the Journal of the American Medical Association Score (JAMAS) for reliability, the global quality score (GQS) for educational value, and the pes planus-specific score (PPSS) for content relevance. Statistical analyses included Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U-tests.

Results: Mean scores were: JAMAS 2.07, GQS 2.67, PPSS 8.52. Physician-created videos scored significantly higher on JAMAS and GQS (p<0.05), while physiotherapists’ videos had the highest VPI (362.8). Exercise videos had the highest VPI among content types, whereas disease lecture videos had the highest PPSS (21.8) but the lowest VPI (6.24). GQS strongly correlated with PPSS (r=0.708), and VPI with video views (r=0.831); no correlation was found between JAMAS and VPI.

Conclusion: Popular videos often lack educational value. While physician-created content is more reliable, it attracts less engagement. Enhancing digital content quality and visibility is essential for effective patient education.