For clinicians and healthcare organizations interested in creating education materials for patients with Crohn’s disease, a closer look at what they view on the Internet can provide clues about their needs and concerns, a recent study suggests. Highlights include:

• Researchers searched YouTube for the most frequently watched videos related to surgery for Crohn’s disease and identified the 50 most watched clips.
• The videos, which were uploaded by patients, healthcare professionals, hospital and specialty organizations, and industry received the most “likes” if the themes centered on “the experience of surgery” and “the experience of disease.”
• Videos that discussed disease management were of less interest to audiences.
• Investigators found that videos developed by patients received more “likes” than hospital/specialty videos, and prompted viewers to request additional information, a window of opportunity for professionals who want to develop relevant patient education materials.
• The report concluded that combining clinical evidence with storytelling patient-centered videos should be the model for the future.