Long-term Engagement Research Articles

Development and validation of health system performance measures for opioid use disorder in British Columbia, Canada

BackgroundPerformance measurement provides an evidence-based means to inform development of interventions to improve the quality of care for people who use opioids. We aimed to develop and assess the predictive validity of health system performance measures for opioid use disorder (OUD) in British Columbia (BC), Canada. MethodsPerformance measures were generated using retrospective population-level administrative datasets (both provincial and regional) and publicly-reported retrospective data according to four domains (care engagement, clinical guideline compliance, integration, and healthcare utilization). The adjusted odds ratio was estimated via generalized linear mixed models to determine predictive validity for all-cause hospitalization or mortality within 6 months of measurement. FindingsA total of 102 performance measures were constructed. We identified 55,470 diagnosed PWOUD, and 39,456 ever engaged in opioid agonist treatment (OAT). We found divergent rates of treatment for concurrent conditions (7.4% for alcohol use disorder to 80.1% for HIV/AIDS), low levels of linkage to OAT and other outpatient care following acute care, and increasing levels of service provision, including increases in OAT prescribers and pharmacies, naloxone kit distribution and overdose prevention site visitation. Our analyses on the predictive validity measures largely supported a priori hypotheses on the direction of effect on the outcome. ConclusionsWe identified a range of priorities to improve the quality of care for PWOUD, with critical gaps in linkage to care through acute care settings and long-term engagement in OAT. The proposed measures can be derived for geographic and clinical subgroups and updated over time, providing a basis to monitor and evaluate efforts to address the public health burden of OUD.

Digitally Supported Lifestyle Intervention to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Through Healthy Habits: Secondary Analysis of Long-Term User Engagement Trajectories in a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundDigital health interventions may offer a scalable way to prevent type 2 diabetes (T2D) with minimal burden on health care systems by providing early support for healthy behaviors among adults at increased risk for T2D. However, ensuring continued engagement with digital solutions is a challenge impacting the expected effectiveness.ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate the longitudinal usage patterns of a digital healthy habit formation intervention, BitHabit, and the associations with changes in T2D risk factors.MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of the StopDia (Stop Diabetes) study, an unblinded parallel 1-year randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of the BitHabit app alone or together with face-to-face group coaching in comparison with routine care in Finland in 2017-2019 among community-dwelling adults (aged 18 to 74 years) at an increased risk of T2D. We used longitudinal data on usage from 1926 participants randomized to the digital intervention arms. Latent class growth models were applied to identify user engagement trajectories with the app during the study. Predictors for trajectory membership were examined with multinomial logistic regression models. Analysis of covariance was used to investigate the association between trajectories and 12-month changes in T2D risk factors.ResultsMore than half (1022/1926, 53.1%) of the participants continued to use the app throughout the 12-month intervention. The following 4 user engagement trajectories were identified: terminated usage (904/1926, 46.9%), weekly usage (731/1926, 38.0%), twice weekly usage (208/1926, 10.8%), and daily usage (83/1926, 4.3%). Active app use during the first month, higher net promoter score after the first 1 to 2 months of use, older age, and better quality of diet at baseline increased the odds of belonging to the continued usage trajectories. Compared with other trajectories, daily usage was associated with a higher increase in diet quality and a more pronounced decrease in BMI and waist circumference at 12 months.ConclusionsDistinct long-term usage trajectories of the BitHabit app were identified, and individual predictors for belonging to different trajectory groups were found. These findings highlight the need for being able to identify individuals likely to disengage from interventions early on, and could be used to inform the development of future adaptive interventions.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03156478; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03156478International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.1186/s12889-019-6574-y

An Unwavering Passion: Doran Ross's Scholarship on Asafo Flags

An Unwavering Passion: Doran Ross's Scholarship on Asafo Flags

Building a Community-Centered Public Health Advocacy Training Program for Medical Students.

Context:Public health advocacy is increasingly acknowledged as an essential component of practice in medicine. Medical schools, residency programs, and professional organizations have begun developing curricula in an effort to teach advocacy. This article describes the structuring and evolution of the Dr Pete Dehnel Public Health Advocacy Fellowship, an innovative program prioritizing a community-centered approach to teaching physician advocacy to medical students.Program:Created by the Twin Cities Medical Society (TCMS), the fellowship's curriculum adopts a cohort-based learning model organized around skills training, personalized physician-mentor pairing in a shared field of interest, and hands-on advocacy activities. The curriculum also centers insights and practical knowledge from community members who are outside of the health care sphere alongside those of experienced physician-advocates.Implementation:TCMS partnered with an independent research organization to conduct an ongoing developmental evaluation (DE) of the fellowship. DE focuses on rapid-cycle feedback and utilization of findings to inform the development of program components. This enables TCMS to customize the fellowship's curricular components to the local context and in response to student and mentor feedback.Evaluation:Early findings have allowed TCMS to refine curricular components while providing evidence of significant gains in 3 areas of growth among fellows: perceived knowledge and advocacy skills proficiency; perceived self-efficacy; and motivation for lifelong advocacy practice.Discussion:Key fellowship components, including a flexible curricular structure with built-in adaptability and emphasis on long-term health advocacy engagement, are associated with student growth. These core elements along with a focus on community-centeredness can be integrated into curricula of other programs seeking to train medical learners and physicians to embrace a lifelong commitment to public health advocacy.

Evolutionary Developments in Spanish Corporate Law

It is very common to encounter commercial law regulations designed towards encouraging shareholders to make long-term investments in different jurisdictions in response to the issue of short-termism. Until a few months ago, EU Shareholder Rights Directive was seen as the most effective step, which was put into effect as of 3 September 2020, as regards the encouragement of long-term shareholder engagement. However, when the latest developments are considered, a new era has just started in Spain with Law No. 5/2021, which entered into force on 3 May 2021, regarding the duties and responsibilities of managers to increase shareholders’ long-term loyalty to listed companies by complying with the modifications envisaged by Directive 2017/828. This study, in light of what has been covered hitherto, examines the amendments (reform) brought by Law No. 5/2021 as well as evaluating its possible effects on the functioning of company law. Spanish Corporate Law Reform, Short-Termism, Shareholder Activism

Long-Term Impact of Study Abroad on Intercultural Development

Purpose:The number of U.S. students who study abroad (SA) has increased significantly over the past 3 decades, and participant intercultural competence (ICC) has been shown to increase after studying abroad. However, few studies have evaluated whether these intercultural gains are maintained over the long term. The purpose of this study was to assess the long-term impact of SA on intercultural development and identify factors that may have impacted continued intercultural growth over time.Method:Thirty-four students who had studied abroad in programs led by the first author participated in the study and completed the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) as well as a qualitative questionnaire.Results:Comparison of pre-SA and current IDI developmental orientation (DO) scores showed that, although there was considerable individual variability, the group maintained their intercultural gains over time. Additionally, clinical experience with a diverse patient population was found to be a significant factor in facilitating intercultural growth. Qualitative data support these findings and indicate that continued long-term effort and engagement may facilitate the maintenance and further development of ICC.Conclusion:Developing ICC is a complex and long-term process, and it requires continued long-term effort and intentional engagement in a variety of intercultural learning activities, particularly clinical activities with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.

When Ecological Analysis Reveals Hidden Human Dimensions: Building on Long-Term Community Participation to Enable a Conservation Translocation of Mountain Bongo in Kenya

Conservation translocations have traditionally focused on ecological aspects while overlooking or underestimating the importance of human dimensions. Here, we present a feasibility analysis for a conservation translocation that up front took a holistic approach by investigating both ecological and socio-economic suitability of reinforcing mountain bongo in Eburu National Forest, Kenya. From 2018 to 2019, we set up 50 cameras to detect mountain bongo and searched for secondary signs in a grid overlaying Eburu. We also conducted surveys with 200 households surrounding the forest and interviewed 300 students to understand local perceptions of and interactions with Eburu Forest and their desire for a mountain bongo translocation. We used data from camera trapping and secondary signs in a MaxEnt model to determine the amount and location of available habitat for a bongo conservation translocation. Camera traps recorded only five bongo events in the 2-year study, and MaxEnt models revealed that these antelopes were relegated to less than 2.5 km of available habitat. Socio-economic surveys indicated local support for the conservation of bongo and their habitat, and yet our camera traps uncovered threatening illicit activities that could jeopardize both bongo survival and any attempt at boosting the remnant population with captive-bred individuals. We report how we built on long-term community and stakeholder engagement to mitigate these threats and provide concrete recommendations for how to proceed with a conservation translocation in terms of both the biological aspects and continued efforts to integrate socio-economic needs and community engagement.

The Influence of Professional Sport on Changes in the Athlete’s Cardiovascular System After the end of Career

The benefits of sports activities on almost all physiological systems are immense and of wide spectrum. However, a large number of recent studies deals with the consequences of long-term professional engagement in sports activities and present opposite results. The review was based on the assumption that intense physical activity to which top athletes are exposed brings with it changes in the cardiovascular system. The methodological procedure has included a review of previous research through the Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science search engines over the past twenty years. Athletes who have played endurance sports have lower blood pressure values compared to athletes who have played strength sports, as well as compared to the non-athlete population. Athletes who have been involved in strength sports have more pronounced left ventricular values. As a general conclusion, it can be pointed out that intense physical activity contributes to changes in the cardiovascular system, but further monitoring of the athlete’s condition is needed after a professional career, in order to obtain even clearer results, because sport is performed at an extremely intensive level, higher than 50-60 years ago.

Cyclical Engagement in HIV Care: A Qualitative Study of Clinic Transfers to Re-enter HIV Care in Cape Town, South Africa.

Long-term patient engagement and retention in HIV care is an ongoing challenge in South Africa's strained health system. However, some patients thought to be "lost to follow-up" (LTFU) may have "transferred" clinics to receive care elsewhere. Through semi-structured interviews, we explored the relationship between clinic transfer and long-term patient engagement among 19 treatment-experienced people living with HIV (PLWH) who self-identified as having engaged in a clinic transfer at least once since starting antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Gugulethu, Cape Town. Our findings suggest that patient engagement is often fluid, as PLWH cycle in and out of care multiple times during their lifetime. The linear nature of the HIV care cascade model poorly describes the lived realities of PLWH on established treatment. Further research is needed to explore strategies for reducing unplanned clinic transfers and offer more supportive care to new and returning patients.

Association Between Change in Accelerometer-Measured and Self-Reported Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Disease in the Look AHEAD Trial.

To conduct post hoc secondary analysis examining the association between change in physical activity. Measured with self-report and accelerometry, from baseline to 1 and 4 years and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes in the Look AHEAD Trial. Participants were adults with overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes with physical activity. Data at baseline and year 1 or 4 (n = 1,978). Participants were randomized to diabetes support and education or intensive lifestyle intervention. Measures included accelerometry-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), self-reported physical activity, and composite (morbidity and mortality) CVD outcomes. In pooled analyses of all participants, using Cox proportional hazards models, each 100 MET-min/week increase in accelerometry-measured MVPA from baseline to 4 years was associated with decreased risk of the subsequent primary composite outcome of CVD. Results were consistent for changes in total MVPA (hazard ratio 0.97 [95% CI 0.95, 0.99]) and MVPA accumulated in ≥10-min bouts (hazard ratio 0.95 [95% CI 0.91, 0.98]), with a similar pattern for secondary CVD outcomes. Change in accelerometry-measured MVPA at 1 year and self-reported change in physical activity at 1 and 4 years were not associated with CVD outcomes. Increased accelerometry-measured MVPA from baseline to year 4 is associated with decreased risk of CVD outcomes. This suggests the need for long-term engagement in MVPA to reduce the risk of CVD in adults with overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes.

“I die silently inside”. Qualitative findings from a study of people living with HIV who migrate to and settle in Canada

We report on qualitative findings from a mixed methods study, examining enacted and internalized stigma during mandatory HIV screening among immigration applicants living with HIV in Canada. Qualitative findings show alignment with characteristics of internalized HIV stigma. We conducted 34 semi-structured interviews, and analyzed the data through thematic analysis, using Intersectionality and the Internalized HIV Stigma Scale as our theoretical and analytical frameworks. Participants described experiences of enacted and internalized HIV stigma in ways that were consistent with the four main domains of stereotypes, disclosure concerns, social relationships, and self-acceptance, but also extended the description of HIV stigma beyond these domains. Experiences of internalized HIV stigma and enacted stigma during the Canadian Immigration Medical Examination could potentially influence individuals’ long-term engagement in the HIV care cascade during the process of migration to, and settlement in, Canada. We present recommendations for the broader migrant health research agenda, health and social care providers, and public health policies.

Digital health technology and hypertension management: a qualitative analysis of patient and specialist provider preferences on data tracking

Aim: Digital health for hypertension management holds potential for improving the quality of care but requires long-term patient engagement to track health data. We explored patient and hypertension specialist perceptions of clinical utility for data tracking including standardized patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), home blood pressure (BP) measurement, and other health metrics. Methods: Participants reviewed general health status, patient satisfaction, and hypertension-specific PROMs. Semi-structured focus groups (n = 15) with nine patients with hypertension and six hypertension specialists were audio-recorded and thematically analyzed. Results: Key themes identified from patients included: (1) comfort and appreciation of home BP monitoring but only during important periods of hypertension care; (2) preference for tracking new symptoms and medication side effects; (3) patients perceived tracking other health measures including general PROMs, diet and exercise as less relevant to their care; and (4) visually represented BP trends evaluating associations with changes in other health parameters were perceived as useful. Key themes identified by hypertension specialists included: (1) concerns about patient digital literacy; (2) utilizing visual representations of long-term BP data trends for patient empowerment; and (3) unclear relevance of tracking medication adverse effects, PROMs, and other non-BP health metrics. Conclusion: Patients and hypertension specialists had similar perspectives for most aspects of data monitoring but differed in preference for a few aspects that were germane to patients, including monitoring medication adverse effects and symptoms. Including views on data tracking from both patients and providers are essential for designing digital tools to optimize hypertension management.

Home-based digital health technologies for older adults to self-manage multiple chronic conditions: A data-informed analysis of user engagement from a longitudinal trial.

BackgroundAgeing populations are resulting in higher prevalence of people with multiple chronic conditions (multimorbidity). Digital health platforms have great potential to support self-management of multimorbidity, increasing a person's awareness of their health and well-being, supporting a better understanding of diseases and encouraging behaviour change. However, little research has explored the long-term engagement of older adults with such digital interventions.MethodsThe aim of this study is to analyse how 60 older adults with multimorbidity engaged with digital symptom and well-being monitoring through a digital health platform over a period of approximately 12 months. Data analysis focused on user retention, frequency of monitoring, intervals in monitoring and patterns of daily engagement.ResultsOur findings show that the overall engagement with the digital health platform was high, with more than 80% of participants using the technology devices for over 200 days. The submission frequency for symptom parameters (e.g. blood glucose (BG), blood pressure (BP), etc.) was between three and four times per week which was higher than that of self-report (2.24) and weight (2.84). Submissions of exercise (6.12) and sleep (5.67) were more frequent. The majority of interactions happened in the morning time. The most common time of submission for symptom parameters was 10 am, whereas 8 am was the most common time for weight measurements.ConclusionsThe findings indicate the patterns of engagement of older adults with complex chronic diseases with digital home-based self-management systems.

Initiations of Employer Engagement in Training Delivery of TVET Programmes

Engagement of employers in the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system is needed not only to increase the training capacity but to ensure the TVET is demand-driven, quality oriented, future focused and provides the economy with the skilled workers it needs. Employer engagement in TVET system covers a spectrum of cooperation and involves small participation to build the trust required to develop more robust long-term engagement strategies. Developing engagements with employer and employer’s associations at all levels of the training programmes life cycle facilitate the development of workable solutions for training-to-work transitions. The employer has a crucial role to play in the delivery of training programmes. Engagement of employer is an essential component of overall training programmes and leads to developing responsive labour market skill needs, supporting priority economic sectors, training design and development, training delivery and post training support to develop ongoing dialogue with employer and employer associations. The need to increase the engagement of employers in TVET programmes has been known for many years in the country, however, employer engagement in training delivery of TVET programme is under-explored in Nepal. This article addresses the existing situation, explores issues, and share some practicable initiations of employer engagement in the TVET programme.

Widening Participation and the Provision of High Quality Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Improvement Programmes: A Case Study of the University of Buea

The Cameroon higher education (HE) system is sincerely stratified, with younger and mature students from more privileged backgrounds comprising the majority of student’s from urban city population. Since independence considerable investment has been made to Widen Participation (WP) and provides High Quality Teaching and Learning (PHQTL) but attempts to evaluate these initiatives and demonstrate impact have presented a major challenge for the HE sector. The main objective of the study was to analyse internal stakeholder’s effectiveness in the implementation of WP and the PHQTL in HE can ensure peace, security, welfare and prosperity of a nation. For study proposes one state university in the Anglophone region of Cameroon was taken and different faculties were included in the population. Four senior leaders, four middle leaders and four students were taken as the sample of the study. This qualitative study was conducted through the analysis of the focus group interview transcripts and ethical considerations are presented. The study proposes a typology to measure Widening Participation at all points of the student life-cycle. The new widening participation typology consists of raising aspirations, fair admission and retention, flexible progression, out-reach partners, vocational emphasis, flexible delivery and lifelong learning though groups have changed over time, and attention has shifted from recruitment and admission to retention, on-course support, and access to equitable career opportunities. The present study recommends a pyramid of measuring High Quality Teaching and Learning (HQTL) in Higher Education may be ranked and recognized at local, national and international level. Formalities for achieving widen participation and high quality teaching and learning include: Online learning will have major role; traditional mode still relevant, on the job training – could involve fee, education as a continuous long-term engagement, increased entrepreneurship possibilities, increase learning opportunity for people with disability. Teachers will be encouraged to become learning facilitators, and students will have more influence over their own learning. Tomorrow's classrooms will need to emphasise a mix of student engagement in learning, inquiry-based techniques, curiosity, imagination, and design thinking.

The Potential and Pitfalls of Collector Collaboration in Southeast Arizona

ABSTRACTIn locales where much of the archaeological record has been destroyed or heavily impacted by pothunting and development, engaging with collector informants—including those who legally excavated sites on private property in the 1980s—can help fill crucial information gaps. However, such collaboration can pose ethical, and potentially legal, challenges. In this article, I outline research goals and results from a survey project in southeast Arizona's York-Duncan Valley, discuss the legal and ethical implications involved in working with former pothunters, and offer a critical evaluation of project practice. Finally, I offer a set of recommendations for those considering similar collaborations. I argue that the rejection of individuals who are knowledgeable about damaged or destroyed archaeological sites effectively silences the sites forever. Data acquired from former pothunters led to the identification and recording of 25 of 87 archaeological sites in the York-Duncan Valley. These individuals also served as interlocutors with others in the local community, helping us foster the trusted relationships necessary to promote site preservation on private property. A long-term engagement strategy that incorporates an assessment determining whether collector informants are responsible or responsive and that nurtures community involvement in preserving local archaeology offers a more productive course of action.

Users' Perceptions Toward mHealth Technologies for Health and Well-being Monitoring in Pregnancy Care: Qualitative Interview Study.

BackgroundMobile health (mHealth) technologies, such as wearable sensors, smart health devices, and mobile apps, that are capable of supporting pregnancy care are emerging. Although mHealth could be used to facilitate the tracking of health changes during pregnancy, challenges remain in data collection compliance and technology engagement among pregnant women. Understanding the interests, preferences, and requirements of pregnant women and those of clinicians is needed when designing and introducing mHealth solutions for supporting pregnant women’s monitoring of health and risk factors throughout their pregnancy journey.ObjectiveThis study aims to understand clinicians’ and pregnant women’s perceptions on the potential use of mHealth, including factors that may influence their engagement with mHealth technologies and the implications for technology design and implementation.MethodsA qualitative study using semistructured interviews was conducted with 4 pregnant women, 4 postnatal women, and 13 clinicians working in perinatal care.ResultsClinicians perceived the potential benefit of mHealth in supporting different levels of health and well-being monitoring, risk assessment, and care provision in pregnancy care. Most pregnant and postnatal female participants were open to the use of wearables and health monitoring devices and were more likely to use these technologies if they knew that clinicians were monitoring their data. Although it was acknowledged that some pregnancy-related medical conditions are suitable for an mHealth model of remote monitoring, the clinical and technical challenges in the introduction of mHealth for pregnancy care were also identified. Incorporating appropriate health and well-being measures, intelligently detecting any abnormalities, and providing tailored information for pregnant women were the critical aspects, whereas usability and data privacy were among the main concerns of the participants. Moreover, this study highlighted the challenges of engaging pregnant women in longitudinal mHealth monitoring, the additional work required for clinicians to monitor the data, and the need for an evidence-based technical solution.ConclusionsClinical, technical, and practical factors associated with the use of mHealth to monitor health and well-being in pregnant women need to be considered during the design and feasibility evaluation stages. Technical solutions and appropriate strategies for motivating pregnant women are critical to supporting their long-term data collection compliance and engagement with mHealth technology during pregnancy.

Is it just apathy? Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour to understand young adults’ (18 to 35 years old) response to government efforts to increase planning participation in Singapore

There is an increasing global trend to include and embrace community-led ideas and opinions in the process of urban planning. In Singapore, there has been a shift in recent years from top-down planning to reaching out, including initiatives to capture the younger generation's voice – yet participation among young adults has been underwhelming. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) this research investigates the current state of participation among young adults in Singapore to understand the response – and lack of response – to government efforts to increase planning participation with an aim to identify barriers and opportunities for improvement. Data were collected through online surveys to capture the perspective of young adults age 18-35 (n=94) and compared with face-to-face interviews with two planning authorities targeting the young adult population. Findings reveal a gap between the issues highlighted by Singapore young adults and the authorities’ perspectives. Recommendations are given to improve the younger generation's intention to participate in planning including to provide sufficient support and resources, build up trust between stakeholders, and select appropriate methods of engagement. Ultimately, young people are a critical group to engage in the community's future, and understanding their motivations – or lack thereof – can inform authorities so that outreach efforts can be tailored to instil long-term civic engagement.

Successfully facilitating initiation of industry engagement in activities which involve students in engineering education, through social capital

ABSTRACT Benefits of industry engagement in engineering education for various stakeholders are well known, but there can be significant obstacles to initiating engagement. Using social capital theory, this study investigated how stakeholders initiate industry engagement in engineering education, and the main barriers from the stakeholders’ perspectives. Semi-structured interviews were held with 21 professionals involved in the engineering industry (including academics and industry personnel). Inductive analysis showed industry engagement was initiated by all stakeholders, although reasons differed. Relationships between individual academics and their industry contacts were often key. Relying on these relationships was problematic when individuals changed roles or organisations. Relationships were also maintained through ongoing agreements or facilitated through third-party organisations. Key barriers included lack of invitations to industry stakeholders from universities, and unclear benefits to industry stakeholders of long-term engagement. The success of third parties in facilitating engagement may provide a framework for facilitating successful ongoing engagement.

Connect With Me. Exploring Influencing Factors in a Human-Technology Relationship Based on Regular Chatbot Use.

Companion technologies, such as social robots and conversational chatbots, take increasing responsibility for daily tasks and support our physical and mental health. Especially in the domain of healthcare, where technologies are often applied for long-term use, our experience with and relationship to such technologies become ever more relevant. Based on a 2-week interaction period with a conversational chatbot, our study (N = 58) explores the relationship between humans and technology. In particular, our study focuses on felt social connectedness of participants to the technology, possibly related characteristics of technology and users (e.g., individual tendency to anthropomorphize, individual need to belong), as well as possibly affected outcome variables (e.g., desire to socialize with other humans). The participants filled in short daily and 3 weekly questionnaires. Results showed that interaction duration and intensity positively predicted social connectedness to the chatbot. Thereby, perceiving the chatbot as anthropomorphic mediated the interrelation of interaction intensity and social connectedness to the chatbot. Also, the perceived social presence of the chatbot mediated the relationship between interaction duration as well as interaction intensity and social connectedness to the chatbot. Characteristics of the user did not affect the interrelations of chatbot interaction duration or intensity and perceived anthropomorphism or social presence. Furthermore, we did not find a negative correlation between felt social connectedness of users to the technology and their desire to socialize with other humans. In sum, our findings provide both theoretical and practical contributions. Our study suggests that regular interaction with a technology can foster feelings of social connectedness, implying transferability of dynamics known from interpersonal interaction. Moreover, social connectedness could be supported by technology design that facilitates perceptions of anthropomorphism and social presence. While such means could help to establish an intense relationship between users and technology and long-term engagement, the contexts in which anthropomorphic design is, actually, the means of choice should be carefully reflected. Future research should examine individual and societal consequences to foster responsible technology development in healthcare and beyond.