Quality and reliability of Malignant melanoma-videos on Tiktok and Bilibili: a cross-sectional content analysis study
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Background Malignant melanoma (MM) is an aggressive cutaneous malignancy with a rising global incidence, and early detection is critical for improving prognosis. TikTok and Bilibili are major short-video platforms for public access to MM-related health information, but the quality and reliability of such content remain unevaluated. This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the content characteristics, sources, quality, and reliability of MM-related videos on TikTok and Bilibili, and compare platform-specific disparities. Methods On January 1, 2026, the top 100 videos with the keyword "恶性黑色素瘤" were retrieved from each platform, resulting in 200 eligible videos. Videos were categorized by source (surgeons/dermatologists, other doctors, etc.) and content type (disease knowledge, etc.). Quality was assessed via the Global Quality Score (GQS), and reliability via modified DISCERN (mDISCERN). Cohen’s kappa and Spearman correlation analysis were used for statistical evaluation. Results TikTok videos had significantly higher median GQS (4.0 vs. 3.0, P < 0.0001) and mDISCERN scores (3.0 vs. 2.0, P < 0.0001) than Bilibili. Bilibili featured longer videos (148.5 s vs. 92.0 s, P < 0.001), while TikTok had higher engagement metrics. Surgeons/dermatologists contributed the most videos on TikTok (51%) and their content scored highest. Disease knowledge was the dominant content category (72% on Bilibili, 78% on TikTok). Bilibili video duration correlated with GQS/mDISCERN, while TikTok GQS/mDISCERN correlated with shares, saves, and views. Conclusions TikTok delivers higher-quality and more reliable MM-related content than Bilibili, driven by professional uploaders and disease knowledge-focused content. Platforms should strengthen governance, medical professionals increase science popularization, and the public prioritize evidence-based content. These findings inform platform management and public health education.
