Keyboard study: No difference in user comfort
The results of an unpublished study suggest that employee health practitioners might want to think twice before recommending that hospital computer users be assigned alternative keyboards that supposedly have better ergonomic designs than traditional computer keyboards.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently conducted an exploratory study that found no significant differences in the levels of discomfort and fatigue experienced by test subjects who used conventional video display terminal keyboards and who used three alternative keyboard designs.
Over a two-day period, 50 female clerical workers typed on either a conventional keyboard or one of three alternative units that featured a split design keys for the left and right hands were on separate panels. In all cases, reported levels of discomfort and fatigue were low.
Nevertheless, NIOSH officials says additional research is needed to determine whether alternative keyboard designs are beneficial for users over longer periods or for workers who have reported symptoms of discomfort or fatigue.
"The findings of this study provide a vital ingredient for the further research needed to protect keyboard users effectively from upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders," says Linda Rosenstock, MD, MPH, NIOSH director.
Some scientists theorize that changes in keyboard configuration can protect users from musculoskeletal disorders of the wrist, arm, and back. Manufacturers have begin to market keyboards based on alternative designs; however, few studies have examined actual performance on those keyboards to determine whether they are more beneficial than standard designs in preventing discomfort, fatigue, and strain.
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