Software selection for the management and prevention of RSI in a diverse user community

Abstract This project involved the evaluation and selection of break reminder software for the management and prevention of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) in a university environment with a diverse user community. A feature analysis was undertaken initially to evaluate available software products on both user-centred and technical factors. As a result, three products were selected for detailed evaluation, which involved 24 subjects each using three pieces of software for a week. During this phase data was collected through interviews and questionnaires. The results show that two products scored equally well. This suggests that if software is to meet the needs of the user, some degree of choice is necessary. Relevance to industry: Musculoskeletal disorders caused by computer use continue to be a problem despite the introduction of strategies developed to combat it. Software monitoring tools for the management and prevention of RSI represent a tool in the armoury. There are now a plethora of such tools on the market. This paper describes a method for the evaluation and selection of such a tool.