The Wellness Paradox
Why companies spend billions on “health” while employees get sicker, and how AI-driven precision is the cure.
Executive Summary
Corporate wellness is in crisis. Despite 80% of large employers offering wellness programs, global burnout rates are rising, and chronic disease markers in the workforce are worsening. The problem isn't lack of investment; it's a lack of personalisation and privacy. This paper explores the “Data Gap” in current solutions and demonstrates how VitalEdge utilizes AI to create a privacy-first, “Digital Twin” approach that meaningfully improves biological health and organisational “Health Wealth.”
The 'Tick-Box' Failure
Current generic programs suffer from abysmal engagement rates.
Most corporate wellness initiatives are generic: a yearly webinar, a fruit bowl, or a generic gym subsidy. Without personalisation, these programs fail to engage the employees who need them most. While 80% of companies offer programs, fewer than 25% of employees actively engage, and sustainable behaviour change is rare.
The Hidden Cost of 'Presenteeism'
It's not just about sick days; it's about lost focus.
Organisations often focus on medical claims and absenteeism. However, the largest financial drain is presenteeism—employees clocking in but functioning at sub-optimal capacity due to stress, fatigue, or poor metabolic health. VitalEdge shifts the focus from 'sick care' to 'optimisation.'
The VitalEdge Ecosystem: Closing the Data Gap
Generic apps lack context. VitalEdge integrates siloed data sources—wearables, pathology, and DNA—into a secure, privacy-preserving Digital Twin. This allows our AI to function as a hyper-personalised health coach.
Wearables
Sleep, HRV, Activity
Genetics
Predispositions
Pathology
Biomarkers
VitalEdge AI Core
On-Device Processing & Privacy Filter
- ✓Data Harmonisation
- ✓Anonymisation
- ✓Evidence-Based Rules Engine
The Health Profile
“Digital Twin”
- Dynamic 'Health Score' (0-100)
- Biological vs Chronological Age
- Personalised Daily Nudges
Metric That Matters: Biological Age
Weight and steps are poor proxies for health. VitalEdge focuses on Biological Age—a composite metric of cellular health, inflammation, and recovery. Our goal is to reverse the clock.
The 3-Tier Intervention Model
Not every employee needs a doctor. VitalEdge uses a triage system to allocate resources efficiently, handling 80% of needs via AI to lower costs.
Building “Health Wealth”
When employees optimise their biology, the organisation gains “Health Wealth”—an asset class defined by resilience, cognitive speed, and reduced turnover.
The path toward medical-grade intelligence.
We are starting with wellness, but we are building for prevention.
Optimisation
Wearable integration, habit tracking, lifestyle interventions.
Prediction
Privacy-preserving team analytics, burnout early warning systems.
Prevention (Potential SaMD)
Clinical decision support and chronic disease risk stratification.
Pending evidence and regulatory approval. This phase is aspirational and contingent on future clinical validation and regulatory clearance.
Built by QED Health Systems
Clinicians, Engineers, and Optimisers.
Our team blends clinical training, software engineering, and high-performance coaching. We are bridging the gap between clinical medicine and consumer technology to build the infrastructure for human performance.
Clinical Medicine
Evidence-based practice and patient safety
Systems Engineering
Scalable architecture and reliability
Data Science
Privacy-preserving analytics and ML
Elite Performance
High-performance coaching methodology
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