YouTube has recently made it easier to find credible health-related content. YouTube Health is getting new features to help improve the quality of health-related search. They include health source information panels and health content shelves. The two new features allow users to access videos from verified health sources on the platform. Hindi and English versions will be available.
How will the new features on YouTube Health work
Information panels will help viewers identify videos from authoritative sources by providing context. Videos from accredited health organizations and government entities will appear with these health labels, allowing viewers to more easily determine the source of information and distinguish credible health content on YouTube.
When viewers search for specific health topics, health content shelves will showcase videos from authoritative sources more effectively. In search, for example, when users search for specific health conditions such as heart disease and breast cancer, a new content shelf will surface videos related to the relevant health topic from accredited health organizations and government agencies. The shelves are intended to visually separate and highlight authoritative videos in search.
“Video can make complicated, clinical topics understandable and accessible in a way that text alone cannot,” said Dr Garth Graham, Director and Global Head of Healthcare and Public Health at YouTube. YouTube has the potential to change how healthcare providers inform, educate, and motivate people to live healthier lives. We are investing in growing the platform’s role as an effective, engaging, and trusted tool for public health communication through principles, partnerships, and product development. It is our mission to provide equitable access to highly authoritative health information that is evidence-based, culturally relevant, and engaging.”
The YouTube Health platform has partnered with leading health organizations like Apollo Hospitals and Max Healthcare and with clinicians and creators to make high-quality health content more accessible.
In 2020, YouTube Health will introduce health panels that cover depression and anxiety to provide users with easy-to-understand, helpful information from authoritative sources to make more informed decisions about the content they watch and the care or support they seek.