YouTube will promote first-aid videos for emergency cases

On January 10, YouTube announced its First Aid Information Shelves. With the release of these shelves, the video streaming giant is making it simpler to locate reliable, life-saving information about basic first aid and emergency care.

The videos on the new shelves, which will be posted at the top of search results, come from reputable medical institutions including Mass General Brigham. The goal of simple-to-follow videos is to provide people with instant access to useful first-aid knowledge without requiring them to read or listen to lengthy instructions.

Dr. Garth Graham, YouTube’s director and global head of healthcare and public health partnerships, said in the blog post,

“We’re committed to harnessing the power of video to make public health information truly public.”

---

How to access first-aid videos on YouTube?

YT announced First Aid Information Shelves. (Image via Unsplash/ Szabo Viktor)

The quick, easy-to-follow videos, created in collaboration with Mass General Brigham and the Mexican Red Cross, go over several fundamental medical emergencies and first-aid techniques, with the goal of giving prompt, helpful guidance. The Heimlich maneuver, CPR, recognizing the early warning symptoms of a heart attack, and other emergency healthcare issues will all be covered in the tutorials.

If someone wants to learn how to administer first aid until medical assistance arrives, they can go to YouTube. When used appropriately, such basic first-aid can frequently stop more damage from occurring to a patient or assist in stabilizing them until an ambulance can come.

You may watch a hands-on CPR training on the video streaming platform that was created in collaboration with the American Heart Association without having to wait for an emergency.

By elevating reputable and useful health content, the video streaming giant may become a more dependable resource in an emergency and prevent the spread of false information about health.

---

YouTube’s steps to reduce the spread of misinformation

The feature contains quick, easy-to-follow videos. (Image via Unsplash/ Souvik Banerjee)

During the COVID-19 epidemic, medical misinformation on the video streaming platform became a serious issue that prompted the Google-owned platform to remove videos that contained false information about vaccines. Content that disseminated false information regarding vaccine efficacy, safety, and ingredients was among them.

The video streaming platform had already blocked over a million videos that disseminated harmful COVID-19 falsehoods before announcing the change. YouTube said last summer that it was taking down videos that encouraged people to seek professional medical attention or that promoted “harmful or ineffective” cancer treatments.

The new feature is being launched in English and Spanish in the United States, with plans to expand to more languages and nations.