YOUTUBE has announced plans to certify the YouTube accounts of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals as part of its effort to reduce misinformation on the platform.
A media report credited to the AFP quoted the online video-sharing and social media platform saying that the change would allow viewers to access videos containing high-quality health information more easily.
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“This is a big step towards helping people more easily find and connect with content that comes from the extraordinary community of healthcare professionals on YouTube,” it said.
The development would also enable doctors and nurses, mental health professionals and healthcare information providers to apply for YouTube verification that allows their videos to be spotted easily by users.
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It will also allow us to expand to include high-quality information from a wider group of healthcare channels,” the company said.
In order “to access the program, healthcare professionals must offer proof of their professional licenses, follow best practices for sharing science-based health information and have a channel in good standing on YouTube,” the company said.
Nurudeen Akewushola is a fact-checker with FactCheckHub. He has authored several fact checks which have contributed to the fight against information disorder. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 via Twitter.
