Quality and reliability of ground-glass nodule-related short Chinese videos on TikTok and Bilibili: a cross-sectional content analysis

Background: The widespread use of chest computed tomography (CT) has substantially increased the detection of ground-glass nodules (GGNs). This often causes significant patient anxiety. While most GGNs are slow-growing, misinformation or incomplete guidance on social media can worsen “scan anxiety”. This may lead to demands for unnecessary overtreatment or result in poor adherence to surveillance protocols. This study evaluated the content, quality, and reliability of GGN-related short videos on TikTok and Bilibili to determine their utility for patient education. Methods: We searched both platforms using the keyword “ground-glass nodules” (“GGNs”) between September 30–October 8, 2025. We analyzed the top 130 videos per platform. We classified uploaders as professionals (surgeons, radiologists, internists including traditional Chinese medicine physicians) or patients. Content was coded for etiology, imaging, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Video quality and reliability were assessed using the Global Quality Score (GQS, 1–5) and modified DISCERN (mDISCERN). Two physicians rated all videos independently, with adjudication by a senior clinician. Nonparametric tests and Spearman correlations were applied (two-sided P