Getting personal

Many corporate wellness programs take a uniform approach focused on exercise or nutrition alone. But what works for one employee may not work for another. With obesity rates and chronic health conditions on the rise, it’s time for a new solution. Enter personalized health.

As medical science has become more personalized—with diagnostics, medications and rehabilitation strategies tailored to the individual—so, too, has corporate health. This idea is gaining traction in some of the most innovative workplaces in Canada and the U.S. The Business Development Bank of Canada, Sun Life Financial and Aetna, for example, are exploring new approaches to employee health that take “me-centric” to a new level by using personal genetics and behavioural and engagement science. The goal: providing employees with sustainable health results and lowering drug and disability costs for employers.

How it Works
The starting point for this personalized approach is a focus on employees who have identified risk factors or require disease management for obesity, diabetes, heart disease or stroke. At-risk employees often contribute the greatest cost burden to an organization. But these people also tend to be the most motivated to make a change—likely due to the fear that they’re on the road to a serious health issue.

Once these at-risk individuals are identified, the goal is to understand them from two perspectives. The first is their genetic makeup, obtained via a saliva test; the second is their personality, motivation and readiness for change, obtained via a detailed profile assessment. Both aspects are equally important in developing a personalized health plan. Genetics identifies key vulnerabilities that people have inherited from their parents, which may affect their health. Personality assessments inform the optimal way to offer information, coaching and mentoring. The results can help to ease the guilt that people often associate with behaviours such as overeating and provide motivation to succeed.

Employees are then enrolled in an interactive program that includes a unique matchmaking system (think eHarmony for coaches and clients); a wearable device that wirelessly tracks daily activities, such as walking; gaming tools to make the experience fun; online communities where the employee can receive support from others like them; and a personalized nutrition, exercise and behaviour management plan to encourage engagement and long-term outcomes. Results are tracked in the areas of weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol.

The Results
Introducing a personalized health program may require greater communication to employees, since they may not understand that it’s not a typical corporate wellness program. For example, they must provide a saliva sample and focus on their entire lifestyle, which requires effort and self-discipline.

But personalized health programs have garnered great interest from participants, along with significant success rates. During a recent initiative at Aetna, 83% of employees lost weight within the first three months of a one-year program, with 70% tracking to a 10% weight reduction target and 100% tracking to a healthy waist circumference goal.

The numbers are in. Personalized health strategies for each employee can bring firms true corporate wellness.

Jeff Ruby is founder and CEO of Newtopia. jruby@newtopia.com

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