Continuing their research from the Kentucky Conference on Health Communication (KCHC), Florida State University School of Information (iSchool) Ph.D. candidates Yuanying Pang and Lovinta Atrinawati presented their work at the IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Information (ICHI), where it was accepted as a full paper. 

 “It’s exciting to have our research published and accepted into a conference,” said Atrinawati. “It means that our research is being recognized and adding something to the body of knowledge.”

 The conference brings together doctors, scientists, and researchers to share new data, tools, and findings, focusing on analytics, systems, and human-centered computing for medicine and wellness.  

Their research examined how people use artificial intelligence (AI) for health-related questions in online discussion forums. They analyzed 6,707 Reddit posts that were published between April 2023 and April 2025 using a combination of thematic and emotion analysis. 

“We found that people used generative AI for a wide range of purposes, including psychological support, interpreting symptoms, exploring treatment options, and much more,” said Pang. “The findings demonstrate both the potential value of generative AI and the need to address concerns such as accuracy, safety, privacy, and overreliance.” 

Working on research of this scale as a doctoral student comes with its share of challenges, but each obstacle was an opportunity for growth, as leading the project required balancing multiple responsibilities. 

“Leading this research has been both rewarding and humbling. It required me to coordinate different parts of the research process, make methodological decisions, communicate across disciplines, and ensure that the study developed into a clear and meaningful contribution,” said Pang. 

The project ultimately became more than a successful research study; it was a valuable learning experience that shaped Pang and Astrinawati’s approach to future work. The experience provided a strong foundation that they hope to build on throughout the rest of their doctoral journey and future research. 

“Presenting the work at an international conference also gave me greater confidence as an independent researcher,” said Pang. “At the same time, it reminded me how important mentorship, teamwork, and constructive feedback are in producing high-quality research.” 

Beyond presenting their findings, the conference gave Pang an opportunity to speak with fellow researchers and healthcare professionals whose perspectives could strengthen their work. The experience fostered meaningful conversations and opened the door to future collaboration while allowing the team to showcase the research on an international stage. 

“I was most looking forward to sharing our findings with researchers working at the intersection of healthcare, information science, and artificial intelligence and receive feedback that could help us improve and extend the research,” said Pang. “It was especially meaningful to represent Florida State University and our interdisciplinary research team at an international conference.” 

Both Pang and Atrinawati intend to continue this work and extend their studies into different types of AI research in healthcare. Through the attendance of this conference, they have built a strong foundation that will lead them into the next phase of their work.