YouTube introduces new updates for authorized information on public health & services

To help solve queries on public health and concerns, YouTube plans to bring more health professionals with accredited information and content on the platform.

As people continue to leverage digital for information and pose questions on health, YouTube plans to help users make informed decisions about health through more authoritative information as they scroll through the medium. To do so, the platform will invest in collaborating with health professionals and organizations as authorized sources to connect with people for helpful content in the next phase of growth and development.

In the increasingly digital world, YouTube recognizes that the next phase in health communication is video to connect with people and answer their questions in a way that is both visual and personal. Consequently, as cited in a YouTube blog post, the platform will invest to grow its role as an effective, engaging, and trusted tool for public health communication through principles, partnerships, and product development.

Speaking on the development, Garth Graham, Director and Global Head of Healthcare and Public Health, Google/YouTube, said, "Over the last year, we've continued to expand our partnerships with leading health organizations like Mass General Brigham and the American Public Health Association, as well as with clinicians and creators, to further increase the accessibility of high-quality health content on our platform."

Additionally, for the people in the United States, YouTube announces two new ways that will surface credible and relevant health information. Starting this week, the viewers will see new features next to some health-related searches and videos. As part of this update, YouTube will add new health source information panels on videos to help viewers identify videos from authoritative sources and health content shelves that highlight videos from these sources when they search for specific health topics.

These context cues are aimed at helping people more easily navigate and evaluate credible health information. People will still be able to find relevant videos from a range of sources in their search results. 

To identify the right sources to include in these new features, YouTube applied the principles developed by an expert panel convened by the National Academy of Medicine, a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that brings together the top experts in health, medicine, and biomedical science to provide unbiased, evidence-based guidance about health and science.

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Graham explained, "This is our first step towards identifying and designating authoritative health sources on YouTube. While only accredited health organizations and government entities are currently included in our health context features, we’re exploring ways to broaden eligibility and evaluate the inclusion of other health sources, as well as ways to expand these features globally."

"Throughout my years of working in public health and practicing medicine, I have seen the benefits of getting the right information to patients when they need it. These new features are an important step to improve our platform’s role in connecting people with high-quality information. We know that there is more work to be done and our investment will continue for the long-term", he added