Introduction: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a common hormonal disorder in reproductive-aged women, is frequently subject to misinformation on social media platforms such as TikTok. Therefore, we aim to evaluate the relationship between viewer engagement and the quality of TikTok videos on PCOS using DISCERN.

Methods: A qualitative cross-sectional analysis of the top 50 TikTok videos under the hashtag “#PCOS” was performed. Videos were independently assessed by two medical students using the DISCERN questionnaire and categorized by creator type (physician vs. non-physician) and engagement metrics (likes, views, comments, saves, shares). Comparative analysis assessed the relationship between different engagement metrics and average DISCERN score using Mann-Whitney U tests.

Results: Physician-created content had higher average DISCERN scores (38.9) than non-physicians (34.6), though not statistically significant (p=0.155). Higher engagement positively correlated with higher content quality, while number of “likes” did not. Notably, “shares” showed the strongest positive association with quality, suggesting user recognition of reliable information. Despite lower overall engagement with physician content, these videos had higher share rates, indicating greater reliability.

Conclusion: This study emphasizes how an increased engagement with likes does not correlate with higher quality and reliability videos about PCOS. While physician-generated TikTok content on PCOS tends to be of higher quality, engagement is not significantly different from non-physician content. Future directions include investigating methods to teach patients how to identify quality and reliable information. Additionally, physicians can be encouraged to utilize social media to educate the public on gynecological conditions.