Health-Related Generative AI Use Alongside and Beyond Professional Care: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Reddit Posts

Background/Objectives: This study examined naturally occurring Reddit posts describing health-related generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) use in relation to professional care. Methods: Of 1822 posts retrieved from two Reddit communities, r/AskDocs and r/ChatGPT (1 November 2024 to 30 October 2025), 291 met the inclusion criteria. Inductive qualitative content analysis generated 47 final codes and five themes. Coding was primarily conducted by one researcher, with team review of boundary cases and independent coding of a random subset. Results: Users described practical, emotional, and relational uses. GenAI use occurred before, in preparation for, and after professional care, and sometimes in lieu of care when care was inaccessible or not pursued. Accounts of diagnostic testing included clinician-informed, clinician-mediated, and independently obtained testing. Users also described concerns about disclosing GenAI use, conflicting information from cross-checking, and barriers to acting on GenAI’s advice to seek care. Conclusions: Clinical and system responses should support discussion of AI-informed concerns and shared decision-making, recognize the clinical work involved in assessing and responding to AI-informed test requests, clarify follow-up pathways after independently obtained test results, and account for barriers to acting on care recommendations.