PulseExploreJournal ClubDebatesTrendingResearchersJournals
Instagram
HomeExploreJournal ClubTrending
Synapse
⌘+K
Synapse
April 10, 2026Online Journal of Public Health Informatics0 citationsOpen Access

Comparison of Artificial Intelligence Tools With Human Coding for Sentiment, Topic, and Thematic Analysis Tasks of Public Health Datasets During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia: Case Study

DHDanielle HutchinsonLLLauren LeeHSHaley Stone

Key Points

  • This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of AI tools compared to human coding in analyzing public health datasets during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Compared AI tools and human coding for sentiment, topic, and thematic analysis in health-related texts.
  • Utilized public health datasets from the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.
  • Assessed reliability of AI tools combined with human oversight for better accuracy.
  • AI tools showed limited reliability for sentiment classification without human input.
  • Thematic exploration was more promising when AI was used alongside human review.
  • Further applications and improvements are necessary for analyzing non-English datasets.

Abstract

Accessible AI tools demonstrate limited reliability for sentiment classification of health-related online text but show promise for rapid thematic exploration when combined with human oversight. These tools could complement traditional qualitative research in the context of health emergencies; however, they require human review to enhance the accuracy of interpretation. Further research is needed for non-English datasets.

Ask AI
Helpful
Bookmark
Share
View Full Paper

Cite This Study

Hutchinson et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69d894ce6c1944d70ce05bcfhttps://doi.org/10.2196/80824
Ask AI
Helpful
Bookmark
Share
View Full Paper

Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Analyzing online public discourse in Australia: Australian Twittersphere and NewsTalk corpora2024 · 1 citations
  2. 2Comparing the Efficacy and Efficiency of Human and Generative AI: Qualitative Thematic Analyses2024 · 92 citations
  3. 3From Voices to Validity: Leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs) for Textual Analysis of Policy Stakeholder Interviews2025 · 8 citations
  4. 4Informing social media analysis for public health: a cross-sectional survey of professionals2024 · 10 citations
  5. 5Why Public Opinion Changes: The Implications for Health and Health Policy2011 · 82 citations