YouTube is expanding one of its health-related initiatives to allow verified content creators to spread awareness about different topics and diseases. Last week, the video streaming platform announced it was opening up ‘health content shelves’ and ‘health source information panels’, two exclusive features reserved for accredited health organisations, to registered doctors, nurses, and other health professionals who make content on the platform. The company highlighted that it intends to make it easier for people to find high-quality information about health and wellness.
YouTube to Showcase Content Made by Registered Health Professionals
In a blog post, Google, the parent company of YouTube, detailed the new initiative. The post highlighted that YouTube introduced two product features a few years ago, dubbed health content shelves and health source information panels, that were aimed at providing easy-to-spot medical and health-related information to users.
YouTube health content shelf
Photo Credit: YouTube
Health content shelves show up on top of all searched results on YouTube when users search for any health or medical topic such as heart attack or diabetes. This space appears in a carousel view and lets users horizontally scroll through information from verified sources. This enables users to evade clickbaity video titles with sensational information.
So far, health content shelves have been limited to accredited health organisations. In India, YouTube partnered with AIIMS, NIMHANS, Apollo Hospitals, Max Healthcare, and others and shows their content in the dedicated space. The videos from this shelf also feature a panel highlighting that the uploader is a verified healthcare organisation.
YouTube health source information panel
Photo Credit: YouTube
Now, YouTube has decided to expand these features to registered doctors, nurses, mental health professionals, and health information providers. They can now apply to be registered by YouTube, after which their videos will show up on the carousel view. “This will allow us to expand to include high-quality information from a wider group of healthcare channels,” the post said.
Upon applying, YouTube will review the content creators on several guidelines. These include best practices for health information sharing as set out by the Council of Medical Specialty Societies, the National Academy of Medicine and the World Health Organisation. Additionally, they must also have a YouTube channel in good standing. The applicants’ licence as healthcare professionals will also be verified.
YouTube said that this expansion will enable users to easily find and connect with content coming from the community of healthcare creators. In the future, the video streaming giant will also expand these product features to additional medical specialties.