As Canadians increasingly seek medical guidance online, YouTube is poised to tackle the problem of misinformation head-on.
Starting Thursday, the video platform will begin verifying the credentials of healthcare creators to ensure only licensed and trusted doctors, nurses and mental health professionals can distribute trusted content on YouTube Health.
“Billions of pieces of health content are viewed in Canada. So we recognize the scale of Canadians coming to our platform for health information.” , explained Dr. Garth Graham, cardiologist and global head of YouTube Health. “That’s why we do our best to provide them with quality health information.”
YouTube Health first launched in Canada in 2022 to make it easier for people to find trusted health information online. The platform is already working with health organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children.
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The health channel has now expanded to include licensed physicians, nurses, and mental health professionals.
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“May 16th is the day we bring this to Canada, where Canadian health creators can apply to get this label and at the same time be part of these health features and be licensed. “This is the day you will see it on the label of a health shelter indicating 'doctors, nurses, mental health professionals,'” Graham told Global News.
The platform already offers this functionality in the US, Germany, Japan, Brazil, and more.
Timothy Caulfield, Canada Research Chair in Health Law and Policy at the University of Alberta, said YouTube's new feature is a “good idea” at a time when misinformation is rampant online, especially in the health field. Ta.
“Health misinformation is killing people, so this is really important,” Caulfield said. “Increasing numbers of people, including here in Canada, especially in the health field, are getting their information from platforms like YouTube. We also know that these platforms are a source of a lot of misinformation. ”
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YouTube is a widely popular platform for health-related content, something Toronto physician Dr. Siobhan Deschauer is keenly aware of.
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Deshower has a YouTube channel where he delves into medical mysteries, offers health advice, and interviews patients. Her channel, which she started seven years ago, currently has more than 1 million subscribers and her videos have received more than 40 million views, which is more than she expected. is also a high number. But to her, these numbers are a clear indication of the content Canadians want.
“I created a YouTube channel at the beginning of my stay, and it was mainly to help educate and make information a little more approachable, because a lot of medical care happens behind closed doors, and people “I felt like it might be a little scary to get involved,” she told Global News.
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“We wanted to take people behind the scenes and provide more intimate, more transparent information.”
Dr. Siobhan Deschauer started her YouTube channel as a way to educate Canadians about their health.Dr. Siobhan Deschauer
Deshauer has a certified channel on YouTube Health because he participated as part of testing to launch the product.
Graham emphasized that YouTube Health's goal is to provide quality health information.
“In Canada, people turn to YouTube as a source of health information. If you wake up in the middle of the night worried about your symptoms, or simply have a health question, you often don't have access to a doctor. , they search for information online, then Google, then YouTube,” he explained.
“And we want to make sure that when users search for health information on YouTube, the first source they see is one that provides high-quality, evidence-based health information that helps their overall health. I want to check it out.
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Graham said professionals who wish to be certified on the channel must undergo a rigorous verification process to ensure they meet the platform's standards of accuracy and expertise. There is a set of principles developed by the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS), and the World Health Organization (WHO) to determine reliability.
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Medical professionals seeking YouTube Health certification must go through an application process that includes ensuring they are licensed, practice evidence-based practice and have no conflicts of interest, Graham said. he explained. Once verified, viewers will notice a clear label at the bottom of the screen identifying the source as a licensed medical professional.
He said certified professionals also gain increased visibility on the platform as YouTube's algorithm makes their content appear more prominently in search results.
Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals can apply for a certified account here.
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Can this initiative combat misinformation?
There's no question that platforms like YouTube recognize that they can facilitate the spread of misinformation, Caulfield said.
“It's like not just YouTube, but every platform, every social media platform, is at the epicenter of this misinformation crisis,” he said. “I think we're starting to see some of these platforms trying to position themselves as if they're really trying to address this global problem in a responsible way.”
In the fight against misinformation, he sees YouTube Health's certified accounts as a positive step forward. However, he also cautioned that there may be challenges to consider.
He said people spreading misinformation are “smart” and may be able to circumvent the verification process YouTube puts in place. This poses a significant challenge for social media giants, he added.
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“Another thing we know is that validation and labeling of processes is not foolproof. If everything is unlabeled, doesn't that mean everything without a label is bad? ” he asked.
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“So I think we need to look at the impact this labeling process has on how people perceive all health information content. It's complicated, isn't it? There are definitely pitfalls to this, but health Given how much of a problem misinformation is, I think we need to start trying different things.”
Graham emphasized that the company has the technology in place to detect and monitor harmful misinformation on its platform.
“If it's harmful or dangerous, that content will be removed. So when we're developing features like this, it's always happening in the background. From a safety perspective, we We always have guardrails in place,” he said.
