NUHS faculty member and research highlighted by RAND REACH Center

National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) faculty member Jocelyn Faydenko, ND, DC, was spotlighted in the October 2024 newsletter of the RAND Research Across Complementary and Integrative Health Institutions (REACH) Center, an initiative that supports complementary and integrative health research.

Through RAND, Faydenko is currently involved with three projects, one of which, “Working Conditions in Chiropractic and Other Complementary and Integrative Healthcare Occupations,” is nearing completion, noted an NUHS press release.

“My goals are to deepen my research skills to advance as an independent clinician-scientist, collaborate with CIH experts, and strengthen NUHS’ research presence,” Faydenko said. “We also recently received word that our manuscript has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM).”

The second study Faydenko is engaged in is “Implementation of Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Chronic Low Back Pain Within the VAQ North Texas Health Care System: A Pilot Study,” which is still in the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and data collection phases, and the third is “Whole Health Promotion by Complementary and Integrative Healthcare Providers within Federally Funded Community Health Centers.”

“For the RAND REACH Scholars Program, I’m hoping to build at least the skeleton of a potential project related to assessing a gamified approach to physical activity,” she said.

This would be a two-phase project, with the first part being information gathering about exercise (e.g., enjoyment of, adherence to, form currently engaged in, etc.) and stress levels. The second part is anticipated to be a pilot study comparing a more general form of exercise to a gamified approach.

Gamification is the integration of game elements like point systems, leaderboards, badges or other elements related to games into conventional activities (as for learning or enrichment) in order to increase engagement and motivation.

“If someone finds and uses a gamified approach to exercise, mindfulness practices, drinking more water, preparing meals, etc., that increases their enjoyment of that activity, then the approach would likely be useful longer-term,” said Faydenko.

Faydenko’s long-term research agenda

Included in Faydenko’s longer-range research agenda is a plan to assess family-based approaches to health, including physical activity and nutrition. She is also exploring a hydrotherapy project within the NUHS Whole Health Center-Lombard, and possibly another gamified study researching mental health, and creating and sustaining behavior change.

“The RAND REACH Center is an extremely important initiative dedicated to further developing research related to complementary and integrative health care (CIH). Dr. Faydenko has been very active in this initiative and their acknowledgement of her success is a significant honor and an indication that Dr. Faydenko is on a path to becoming a leader in CIH research,” said Gregory Cramer, DC, PhD, NUHS Dean of Research.

About RAND and RAND REACH

RAND is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization committed to the public interest. Its focus is to develop solutions to public policy changes to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. The RAND REACH Center is a collaboration between RAND and member institutions that train complementary and integrative health (CIH) practitioners. Its purpose is to leverage the research infrastructure at RAND to support collaborative research across and within these institutions.

About National University of Health Sciences

Founded in 1906, National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) is a leader in the growing field of integrative medicine and is respected worldwide for success in balancing healing arts and science, combining broad-scope integrative medicine with patient-centered care. Its doctor of chiropractic (DC) program is offered in both Illinois and Florida. Illinois programs include the doctor of naturopathic medicine (ND) and doctor of acupuncture (DAc); first professional master’s degree programs include the master of acupuncture (MAc) and master of acupuncture with a specialization in herbal medicine (MAc-HM). Additional programs of study include a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences (BSBS) completion program and a prerequisite program. Post-professional offerings include the (online) master of science in advanced clinical practice (MSACP), master of science in diagnostic imaging (DI) and (online) doctor of acupuncture completion (DAc-C). With campus sites in both Illinois and Florida, NUHS continues to forge new paths within the world of healthcare, based on understanding and cooperation with medical professionals from all disciplines.