Doctors, nurses, and other health professionals can apply to have their YouTube channels certified, the video-sharing platform said, in an effort to curb misinformation on the site.
The change will allow users to more easily access videos containing “high-quality health information,” YouTube said. “This is a big step toward helping people more easily find and connect with content that comes from YouTube’s outstanding community of health professionals,” the announcement said. In addition to doctors and nurses, mental health professionals and health information providers can also apply for YouTube verification, which allows their videos to be easily noticed by users.
“This new step will allow us to expand our reach to include high-quality information from a wider group of channels in healthcare,” the company said. According to the National Academy of Medicine, about 90% of Americans use social media to search for health information. Last year, YouTube came under fire for hosting videos that criticized Covid-19 vaccines or contradicted health guidelines from the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In response, in September 2021, the site banned misleading and inaccurate content about vaccines. It also launched a limited program that allows videos by public health departments, hospitals, and governments, among other organizations, to have labels that notify users that they are authoritative. It is this program that is now being expanded. To gain access to the program, health professionals must provide proof of their professional licenses, follow best practices for sharing science-based health information, and have a reputable YouTube channel, the company said. YouTube, headquartered in San Bruno, California, has a reach of about two billion monthly active users.
