Quality of Social Media Information on Cleft Care for Cleft Lip and Palate: A Scoping Review
Sunil Kumari, Nithin K V, Shailendra Singh RanaObjective
To map and synthesize the literature on the quality and reliability of social media information related to cleft lip and palate (CLP) care and to identify gaps in multidisciplinary digital health communication.
Design
Scoping review with a systematic search of MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, Embase, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar from inception to February 2026.
Setting
Digital video-sharing social media platforms.
Patients, Participants
Individuals with cleft lip and/or palate, including patients, caregivers, and the general public accessing social media content.
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures
Quality, reliability, usefulness, and educational value of social media information related to CLP.
Results
Of 846 records identified, 9 studies met the inclusion criteria. The mapped evidence was entirely concentrated on video-sharing platforms—YouTube and TikTok. The quality of information in each study was predominantly low to moderate, with clear informational gaps emerging across specific clinical domains. While videos addressing general or multidisciplinary care were present, comprehensive information covering all multidisciplinary aspects was reported less often.
Conclusions
Within the mapped evidence base, healthcare professional-generated content demonstrates higher educational quality but often achieves lower user engagement compared to relatable, patient-generated narratives. Furthermore, the absence of evaluations in several clinical domains prevents definitive conclusions regarding multidisciplinary care. Exploring the incorporation of digital mediation into cleft consultations may be a valuable consideration to guide patients toward validated resources.