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Abstract BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, many people lacked access to group fitness opportunities due to elevated risk of infection, lockdown, and closure of exercise facilities. Additionally, many people experienced higher than average rates of mental health burden (eg, anxiety and stress). To help address these needs, an existing in-person community exercise class, taught by a faculty member from an academic medical center, transitioned to an online synchronous (OS) physical fitness class via the Zoom (Zoom Video Communications) videoconferencing platform. As such, the instructor advertised the OS fitness classes through an existing email list of community members and university faculty, staff, students, or alumni email listservs. This telewellness intervention sought to create a sense of community, build social support, and promote physical and mental wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic. ObjectiveOur aim was to determine the perceived mental and physical health benefits of attending an OS fitness class for community members, including health care workers. We also assessed the use and functionality of related technologies necessary for delivering and attending the fitness classes. MethodsAn online survey questionnaire was created and tested to collect quantitative and qualitative data for an exploratory study. Data were collected to evaluate the fitness class, motivation, perceived health benefits, and related technologies. A convenience sample of people who had participated in the OS fitness classes was recruited for this study via an emailed recruitment flyer. ResultsA total of 51 participants accessed and completed the survey questionnaire. Survey participants consisted of 28 of 51 (55%) with a university affiliation, 17 of 51 (33%) with no university affiliation, and 6 of 51 (12%) who declined to state. The largest group of participants reporting full-time employment (18/51, 35%) also reported university affiliation with the academic medical center. In this group, 13 of 51 (25%) participants reported full-time employment, university affiliation, and doctoral degrees. High overall exercise class satisfaction was observed in the survey responses (mean 4.0, SD 1). Data analyses revealed significant perceived value of both mental and physical health benefits as motivating factors for participating in the OS fitness class. Challenges were identified as not being able to receive individual feedback from the instructor and the inability of some participants to see if they were in sync with the rest of the class. ConclusionsResults provide preliminary support for the use of online videoconferencing fitness platforms to promote wellness and facilitate group exercise in the community during times of high infection risk. Future studies should continue to explore perceived benefits, mental and physical wellness, best practices, and the design of related technologies. 

Background: Each year in the U.S. there are an estimated 15,780 children between the ages of birth and 19 years of age who are diagnosed with cancer. Many are also medically restricted to their homes each year due to symptoms, treatments, and recovery. Thus, they are consequently denied vital behavioral and developmental experiences fundamental to social connectedness and optimal development. A better understanding of the relationship between tele-technologies that facilitate person-to-person interactions and levels of social connectedness will allow us to develop innovative and comprehensive programs that improve quality of life experiences for childhood cancer survivors.  

BackgroundCOVID-19 has severely impacted health in vulnerable demographics. As communities transition back to in-person work, learning, and social activities, pediatric patients who are restricted to their homes due to medical conditions face unprecedented isolation. Prior to the pandemic, it was estimated that each year, over 2.5 million US children remained at home due to medical conditions. Confronting gaps in health and technical resources is central to addressing the challenges faced by children who remain at home. Having children use mobile telemedicine units (telerobots) to interact with their outside environment (eg, school and play, etc) is increasingly recognized for its potential to support children’s development. Additionally, social telerobots are emerging as a novel form of telehealth. A social telerobot is a tele-operated unit with a mobile base, 2-way audio/video capabilities, and some semiautonomous features. ObjectiveIn this paper, we aimed to provide a critical review of studies focused on the use of social telerobots for pediatric populations. MethodsTo examine the evidence on telerobots as a telehealth intervention, we conducted electronic and full-text searches of private and public databases in June 2010. We included studies with the pediatric personal use of interactive telehealth technologies and telerobot studies that explored effects on child development. We excluded telehealth and telerobot studies with adult (aged >18 years) participants. ResultsIn addition to telehealth and telerobot advantages, evidence from the literature suggests 3 promising robot-mediated supports that contribute to optimal child development—belonging, competence, and autonomy. These robot-mediated supports may be leveraged for improved pediatric patient socioemotional development, well-being, and quality-of-life activities that transfer traditional developmental and behavioral experiences from organic local environments to the remote child. ConclusionsThis review contributes to the creation of the first pediatric telehealth taxonomy of care that includes the personal use of telehealth technologies as a compelling form of telehealth care. 

The last several years have seen a strong growth of telerobotic tech- nologies with promising implications for many areas of learning. HCI has contributed to these discussions, mainly with studies on user experiences and user interfaces of telepresence robots. How- ever, only a few telerobot studies have addressed everyday use in real-world learning environments. In the post-COVID 19 world, sociotechnical uncertainties and unforeseen challenges to learning in hybrid learning environments constitute a unique frontier where robotic and immersive technologies can mediate learning experi- ences. The aim of this workshop is to set the stage for a new wave of HCI research that accounts for and begins to develop new in- sights, concepts, and methods for use of immersive and telerobotic technologies in real-world learning environments. Participants are invited to collaboratively defne an HCI research agenda focused on robot-mediated learning in the wild, which will require exam- ining end-user engagements and questioning underlying concepts regarding telerobots for learning.