Tablet computers are all the rage and, as with many new tools, their sudden popularity has been associated with an increase in certain physical ailments; in this case the development of neck and shoulder discomfort. The main reason for this appears to be the high head and neck flexion postures adopted by many tablet users as compared to those in typical desktop computing scenarios. An extensive study by Harvard, Microsoft, and Brigham and Women’s hospital determined that the main cause for tablet related discomfort is “low gaze angles”, suggesting that tablet users should place their tablet at a higher level - a table rather than a lap - in order to ensure a more neutral posture. Researchers have also determined that further studies will be necessary to determine the effects of tablet computers and configuration as regards potential arm, wrist and hand issues.

Individuals and organizations of all types are implementing wide-scale adoption of tablet computers to their operations and an understanding of the health ramifications, as well as the ergonomic strategies necessary to mitigate them, is essential if we are to keep ourselves and our workforce productive. Regardless of the work or tools employed, an ergonomic consultation is a common sense, low cost investment that reaps huge dividends in the form of lower claims costs and improved productivity and morale. Coleen Kearon has six years of experience and training as an Ergonomic Evaluator and she is available to assist with individual, departmental or company-wide consultation. Give us a call at 802-882-8771 for more information.

When it comes to medical information, you want to make certain that your source is reliable and trustworthy. Wikipedia is an easy “go to”, but you should be aware that anyone can post information on their site; someone who has never opened a medical textbook, or a sales rep who wants to show a product in a favorable light. You should also consider that when you do a Google search, sites are ranked by popularity or because someone has paid to get to the top of the list. So what are some trustworthy sites? PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed provides up-to-date accurate information and houses more than 19 million biomedical articles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov contains a wealth of comprehensive information on health and safety topics including reliable and credible data on diseases and conditions, statistics, emergencies, disasters and much more. eMedicine http://www.emedicinehealth.com is another medical reference source that is filled with evidence-based content and is updated regularly by more than 8,000 physician or healthcare provider authors and editors. I also encourage you to call either of our Nurse Case Managers at VRS of Vermont; Karen or Debbie are happy to answer your questions or direct you to a reputable source.

(Source: NSO/HPSO Risk Advisor 2010)

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