Is Private Innovation The Key To Paediatric Chiropractic Research?
We interview Australia's Doctor Jacey Pryjma to find out.................
Tired of inaccurate, negative media reporting about chiropractic care for children, Australian chiropractors are taking a stand. A new program called Well Kids is now being used in private practices in four countries. It enables chiropractors around the globe to create the much-needed data. The Well Kids data documents the health changes children experience under chiropractic care.
‘As more families than ever turn to natural modalities like chiropractic for children’s health support, there is a resurgence of calls for more research and questions as to the legitimacy of chiropractic care for infants and children’ said Dr Jacey Pryjma, founder of Well Kids.
‘Although the positive body of evidence is growing, it will now continue to grow further thanks to traditional research and our innovation – Well Kids – used in private practice’.
‘The vision for Well Kids is to have hundreds of chiropractors around the globe continually contributing to a massive database documenting the quality of life changes children enjoy under chiropractic care’.
Dr Pryjma, from Newcastle NSW has vowed to put a stop to negative press.
‘I was tired of seeing negative press every few months. I felt that if I was not part of the solution then I was simply part of the problem.’
Dr Pryjma’s self-funded program is dedicated to supporting chiropractors in documenting, measuring and reporting on the functional health changes children of all ages achieve with care. The data collected from the program is stripped of all identity and will be donated to the Centre for Chiropractic Research at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic for analysis.
‘What is exciting about Well Kids, is that we have created a self-funded, perpetual program that collects the data of cases from around the globe. This program is not only about supporting parents to better understand how chiropractic care is improving their child’s individual health but has the opportunity to provide retrospective data for researchers to use for the benefit of all interested in health and natural health care.’ said Dr Pryjma.
After the beta-version was released 3 years ago, Dr Pryjma further developed the program to include online software in 2015 to digitally capture the very important data collected by the chiropractors.
‘I originally created the program to assist our profession to have a standard paediatric examination and a process to easily report, plan care and document results for parents. I was frustrated by the unfounded claims that chiropractic care is not suitable for children, I realised I was sitting on the very data needed to help push research into quality of life further.’
Historically, chiropractic research has had a funding issue. Without big corporations to put the dollars forward, it can be difficult to fund large networks like the one Dr Pryjma is creating.
‘I am really proud of the program and software we have created. After the initial development, the ongoing fees from this project will continue to help further develop the program’s capabilities. It is creating a perpetually advancing network of chiropractors documenting children’s change under care. We then simply donate the data to the research centre, so that the analysis and interpretation of the data is completely independent.’
Dr Pryjma is hoping her innovation will be something that catches on.
‘In industries such as ours, separate from big industry funding, the more individual practitioners can innovate with the idea of ‘giving back’ to the profession, the more we can accomplish. I know chiropractic care will be recognised in the future for its ability to support children to enjoy a higher level of health, and I am excited that Well Kids and the network of chiropractors I work with will hopefully play a major part in that.’
If you would like to know more about the Well Kids Practice Management Software contact us for an individual demonstration now.
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