Problems and coping strategies reported by computer users with rheumatoid arthritis

Workers with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may cope with work disability by doing jobs which involve computer use. Unfortunately, little is known about the problems experienced by computer users with RA or their methods of coping with these problems. The aim of this study was to describe the type and prevalence of problems and coping strategies reported by computer users with RA.

Two hundred subjects from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Arthritis Network Disease Registry completed The Computer Problem Survey; selecting problems and coping strategies for 4 computer equipment items: chair, keyboard, mouse, and monitor. Percentages were used to analyze problems and coping strategies, and correlation coefficients to identify the associations between them. Results indicate that 86.1% of respondents reported problems with at least one equipment item. The most common problems were positioning the body to use the equipment and fatigue, reported by 51%-76% respondents. The most common coping strategy was changing personal performance parameters (e.g. slowing down), reported by 35%- 63% of respondents. There were relatively few significant associations between specific problems and coping strategies, suggesting that coping strategies were highly varied between workers. Research on job accommodations suggests that changing personal performance parameters is a less effective strategy than modifying the environment. This study underlines the high number of problems experienced by computer users with RA, and the need for public health interventions to educate computer users with RA on the most efficient strategies to cope with problems.