Quality of information in #brokenfileremoval Reels videos on Instagram: a cross-sectional study

Aim Instagram is a popular social media platform for sharing videos and photos that is widely used by individuals worldwide. The objective of this study was to assess the information quality of Reels videos on Instagram with respect to broken files, a complication in endodontic treatment.Subject and methods Reels videos were searched on May 16 between 19:00 and 23:00 using English hashtags (#brokenfile, #brokenfileremoval, #brokeninstrument, #brokeninstrumentremoval). The videos related to the subject were examined based on their characteristics and uploaders. The videos were evaluated by Global Quality Scale (GQS) scores, modified DISCERN, and JAMA criteria. Descriptive statistics were obtained, and the data were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman rho tests.Results Of the 205 downloaded Reels videos, 54 met the criteria for analysis. Most posts were posted by specialists (79.62%, n = 43), hospitals/universities/clinics (9.25%, n = 5), health-related businesses (5.55%, n = 3), and others (5.55%, n = 3). The GQS (1.50 +/- 0.66), modified DISCERN score (1.57 +/- 0.68), and JAMA criteria (1.85 +/- 0.41) of Instagram video posts about #brokenfileremoval were found to be very low. A strong positive correlation was found between the number of followers and viewing rates (p < 0.001).Conclusion The Reels videos related to #brokenfile #brokenfileremoval, #brokeninstrument, and #brokeninstrumentremoval were limited in number and of low quality. Therefore, specialists should upload more comprehensive videos to effectively utilize this platform.