Getting information from medical experts on YouTube just became a whole lot easier.
The popular video-sharing platform recently introduced a couple of new features that would make medical experts' videos and posts easier to identify and watch on the platform.
One of these features is an improvement to YouTube's label informing viewers that the info on a channel is from a certified healthcare professional.
YouTube New Health-Related Feature Details
YouTube recently added two new features that would help users identify and watch content from certified healthcare professionals faster and easier.
According to the platform's announcement, it added new health source information panels on videos made by healthcare workers with the proper certification to make them more identifiable from those that are not.
An example of the new health source information panel and improved healthcare content shelf.
This information panel will appear much like the ones that appear on the YouTube videos of news programs like Deutsche Welle, BBC, and Al Jazeera.
Much like these panels, the ones for certified medical experts can be viewed on Youtube's web version and its mobile app.
To determine if a medical professional should be given such an information panel, YouTube decided to follow the guidelines set by the Council of Medical Specialty Societies, the National Academy of Medicine, and the World Health Organization.
However, medical professionals who wish to receive the new information panel will need to apply for one first, per Tech Crunch.
Aside from licensed health professionals, accredited health organizations and government entities are also able to apply to have the information panel on their content.
The only shortcoming this new feature has is that the information panel will still appear on content unrelated to healthcare if a licensed medical professional uploads one.
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The video in question will also appear on health content shelves if the licensed medical professional uses keywords related to a medical condition.
YouTub plans to explore ways to broaden the eligibility and the inclusion of other health sources in the foreseeable future.
Speaking of content shelves, YouTube also improved the content shelves related to healthcare by making them more effective at highlighting videos from certified medical professionals.
Dr. Garth Graham, MD, Global Head of YouTube Health, mentioned that these two features are its first step towards identifying and designating authoritative health sources on YouTube.
"Throughout my years of working in public health and practicing medicine, I have seen the benefits of getting the right information to patients when they need it," Graham said. "These new features are an important step to improve our platform's role in connecting people with high quality information."
How To Apply For YouTube's Health Source Information Panel
For medical professionals to acquire the new information panel, they must have more than 2,000 watch hours of public videos in the last 12 months and submit evidence that proves they have an active license.
YouTube will then review their channel based on the previously mentioned guidelines and with the local authorities to verify if they have a valid medical license.
Once approved, they will get a special label stating that they are a licensed healthcare professional resource as well as making their videos available on healthcare content shelves.
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