Pathology goes viral: a qualitative review of #pathology content on TikTok.

Authors

• Riley Jepkema
• Meredith Herman
• Sanjay Gadasalli
• Sean Hacking
• Julia Kochanowski
• Casey Schukow, Corewell Health East Resident
• Kamran Mirza

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-4-2026

Publication Title

American journal of clinical pathology

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The use of #pathology and #pathologist is increasing on TikTok, a short-form video platform with over 1 billion users. As of July 2024, #pathology had over 21 000 posts and 468 million views, while #pathologist had over 3000 posts. It could be a useful tool for education and recruitment if the content is accurate and engaging.

METHODS: To assess the accuracy, engagement, and educational value of this growing content, we conducted a cross-sectional study analyzing 105 English-language TikTok videos identified using these keywords over a 72-hour period. Videos were evaluated using the Patient Education Assessment Tool for audiovisual material (PEMAT-AV) for audiovisual quality, the Global Quality Scale (GQS) for overall content quality, and a modified JAMA benchmark score for information accountability. Additionally, a harm-benefit score categorized educational impact.

RESULTS: Statistical analysis revealed that educational content demonstrated significantly higher quality scores on GQS (P = .0001) and PEMAT-AV (P = .0007) than other content types. In contrast, medical profile type was associated with higher PEMAT-AV (P = .0147), JAMA (P = .0332), and harm-benefit (P = .0004) scores.

CONCLUSIONS: While the volume of pathology-specific content is currently limited, the high average engagement metrics-298 100 followers, 1.5 million views, and 67 884 likes per video-indicate substantial user interest. The higher-quality scores for educational and medical content suggest that pathology content creators are generally knowledgeable and accurately represent the field on TikTok, highlighting TikTok's potential as a valuable platform for disseminating reliable pathology-related information.

Volume

166

Issue

2

First Page

aqag065

Recommended Citation

Jepkema R, Herman M, Gadasalli S, Hacking S, Kochanowski J, Schukow C et al Pathology goes viral: a qualitative review of #pathology content on TikTok. Am J Clin Pathol. 2026 Aug 4;166(2):aqag065. doi: 10.1093/ajcp/aqag065. PMID: 42560369.

DOI

10.1093/ajcp/aqag065

ISSN

1943-7722

PubMed ID

42560369