Education and Training

Ph.D., Health Outcomes Research and Policy, Auburn University, Auburn, United States

M.S., Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation, Auburn University, Auburn, United States

B.S., Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China

Teaching Interests

Dr. Yang’s teaching interests and experience include biostatistics and literature reviewing, patient behavior, and patient centered care.

Scholarly Interests

Dr. Yang’s research aims to promote patient-centered pharmaceutical care to improve the quality of healthcare. Her work focuses on developing, implementing, and evaluating user-centered decision interventions that support patients and healthcare providers in making rational health decisions.

Through interviewing and surveying stakeholders, as well as validating patient-reported outcome measures, her research examines patients lived experiences, decision contexts, and patients’ needs and preferences to inform the design of patient-centered decision interventions. Her current research focuses on over-the-counter medication decision-making and tobacco cessation. She welcomes internal and external collaboration to expand her research to other health-related decisions, including treatment decisions for chronic and acute conditions, and preventive healthcare.

Selected Recent Publications

Yang H, Khatiwada AP, Curtis JR, Nowell WB, Gavigan K, Hawkins G, Seals C, Rose CG, McCormick N, Garza KB. Assessing activity limitations experienced by persons with rheumatoid arthritis to inform appropriate selection of patient-reported outcomes measures: a qualitative study. J Patient Rep Outcomes. 2025 Nov 4;9(1):129. doi: 10.1186/s41687-025-00955-5.

Garza KB, Yang H, Richardson A, Seals C, Hawkins G, Rose CG, Nowell WB, Gavigan K, Stewart P, Fraenkel L, Curtis JR. Acceptance of virtual reality among adults with rheumatologic conditions, Journal of Medical Extended Reality, 2024;1(1):282-289. doi: 10.1089/jmxr.2024.0024

Moseley L, Garza KB, Yang H. Exploring students’ professional identity formation through the use of technology: let’s jam!, Journal of Teaching and Learning with Technology, 2024;13:28-32. doi: 10.14434/jotlt.v13i1.38249

Yang H, Poudel N, Simpson S, Chou C, Ngorsuraches S. Important barriers to COVID-19 vaccination among African Americans in black belt region, J Racial Ethn Health Disparities, J Racial Ethn Health Disparities, 2024;11(2):1033-1044. doi:10.1007/s40615-023-01583-9

Publication list via Google Scholar:

Heqin Yang – Google Scholar

Selected Recent Presentations

Yang H, Loop M, Hohmann N, Westrick S, Ngorsuraches S, Garza KB. Reading the drug facts label associated with the use of over-the-counter medicine among young adults, poster at 2025 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy annual meeting, Jul 20, 2025

Yang H, Loop M, Hohmann N, Westrick S, Ngorsuraches S, Garza KB. The association between decision-making styles and the inappropriate use of over-the-counter medicines among young adults, poster at 2025 Society of Medical Decision Making annual meeting, Jun 16, 2025

Yang H, Du S, Hohmann N, Westrick S, Ngorsuraches S, Loop M, Garza KB. The process of self-medication decision-making among young adults: a qualitative study, podium at the 2024 Southern Pharmacy Administration Conference, Aug 8, 2024

Yang H, Xue X, Garza KB. Reliability of PROMIS short form social isolation measure and evaluating the social isolation among caregivers, poster at the 2024 Southern Pharmacy Administration Conference, Aug 8, 2024

Yang H, Spratlin K, Reed M, Pritchett C, Warhurst T, Keller M, Hutchison A, Hohmann N. Barriers, facilitators, and recommended strategies for pharmacist-led medication management services for homebound older adults living with dementia, poster at the American Pharmacists Association annual meeting, March 23, 2024

Yang H, Richardson A, Curtis JR, Seals C, Hawkins G, Rose CG, Garza KB. User acceptance of virtual reality and haptic devices among people with rheumatologic conditions, poster at the 2022 Southern Pharmacy Administration Conference, June 25, 2022

Yang H, Poudel N, Simpson S, Chou C, Ngorsuraches S. Barriers to COVID-19 vaccination among African Americans living in black belt region, poster at AcademyHealth, June 5, 2022

Yang H, Tanni KA, Qian J, Ngorsuraches S, Garza KB. The application of shared decision making in the chronic non-cancer pain management: a systematic review, poster at ISPOR—The Professional Society for Health Economics and Outcomes Research, May 17, 2021, VALUE IN HEALTH – JUNE 2021, S195-3