In an effort to protect British users from false medical claims, YouTube has introduced a verification system for UK-based medical experts.
More than two billion video views on health issues were made by consumers in the UK in 2021.
YouTube has introduced a new badge of approval for accounts managed by verified medical professionals in an effort to reduce the spread of false material.
YouTube’s head of UK health, Dr. Vishaal Virani, has stated that the transition to verified health videos for UK users is vital due to the large number of people in the UK who use YouTube to gain access to healthcare information.
Virani told the BBC, “Whether we like it or not, whether we want it or not, whether the health industry is pushing for it or not, people are accessing health information online.
“We need to do as good a job as possible to bring rigour to the content that they are subsequently consuming when they start their care journey online.”
In June, the verification system started accepting applications from healthcare practitioners in the UK who currently have a valid medical licence.
Videos uploaded by accounts that participated in the verification scheme are beginning to be marked as real.
This would aid in making it clear to users whether or not the content has been vetted by a medical expert.
The National Health Service and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges have developed a stringent multi-step verification process for potential health innovators submitting their accounts.
The YouTube mark of authenticity for the accounts that applied to the verification programme is now being applied to their videos.
This would make it easier than ever for users to determine whether the content has been sourced from a licenced healthcare expert.
Potential health makers who submit their accounts must go through a rigorous, multi-step verification procedure that collaborates with the National Health Service and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.
Additionally, authors of health content who have previously posted videos to YouTube are inspected for any medical inaccuracies and do not receive verification.
