YouTube Makes It Easier To Identify Licensed Healthcare Experts From The Fakes

In a push to minimize misinformation and disinformation on its platform, YouTube recently announced it would be expanding features to help users distinguish licensed healthcare professionals from the quacks. 

“The opportunity that healthcare professionals have to inform and educate their patients largely stops at the clinic door. The reality is that the majority of healthcare decisions are made outside the doctor’s office, in the everyday lives of our patients,” the site remarked.

As such, YouTube Health will now partner with doctors, nurses, and mental health experts to bring “high-quality health information” to viewers, allowing trusted channels to be verified and highlighted as authoritative sources.

Currently, channels eligible for health product features or health source information panels on the platform are limited to educational institutions, public health departments, hospitals, or government authorities. 

Going forward, YouTube plans to expand its pool of trusted experts to include a wider group of healthcare providers. Of course, to ensure quacks don’t slip through the cracks, all applicants must show proof of license, follow best practices, and have a reputable channel on the site. 

Once approved, these channels will have a health source information panel identifying them as verified experts. Their videos are boosted in relevant search results when users search for health-related keywords. 

As Gizmodo pointed out, pages accepted into the program will still have to undergo periodic assessments to ensure the integrity of the information provided. They could lose access to the features should they be found not following the rules. 

Healthcare providers keen on sharing medical information in the digital age can apply here.  

[via Gizmodo and YouTube, images via Andrew Angelov | Dreamstime.com]