GP, Dr Karuna Ramkissoon: "My patients are far more likely to complete important health screenings because of Personal Health Pathways"

For Dr Karuna Ramkissoon, a particular patient's story shows just how offering preventive healthcare isn't always about preventing disease or diagnosing it early. Preventive care can also be about helping people lower their risk of serious illness.

"An elderly patient who lives with several chronic conditions had received a recommendation through her Personal Health Pathway to have her annual flu vaccine because her health conditions put her at high-risk of serious flu," explains Dr Ramkissoon. "She brought her husband - who has advanced heart disease - with her for their vaccinations."

A few weeks later, both developed flu. But their symptoms were mild, and it passed uneventfully.

"They were incredibly grateful they'd had their vaccinations. Although they both became ill, their symptoms were mild enough that they were still able to manage at home."

For these patients, this preventive care made a significant difference.

"Her husband is a cardiac patient and she is his primary caregiver. She told me she was grateful she hadn't become seriously ill because she was still able to look after both herself and her husband."

"She told me that relatives of a similar age who hadn't been vaccinated had experienced repeated, more severe bouts of flu over the same period."

"Getting a flu vaccination may seem like a small thing, but for older people and those living with chronic conditions it can be life-saving. That experience perfectly captures what Personal Health Pathways is designed to do: prompt patients to take preventive action before a health problem becomes a medical crisis. And, for GPs like me, there is the opportunity to endorse the actions recommended in patient's Pathways - actions we would have encouraged anyway, but which patients are now more likely to follow through with, as they are rewarded for doing so through Personal Health Pathways."

Reinforcing important health advice

Dr Ramkissoon believes one of Personal Health Pathways' greatest strengths is that it reinforces the advice she already gives her patients.

"I tell patients when they should go for preventive screenings such as mammograms, prostate screenings and bowel cancer screening. Sometimes hearing this from me isn't enough to get them to follow through - to book the screening check and have it done take effort, and I understand this."

"When a patient's Personal Health Pathway recommends the same screening check that they've heard me recommend or where I can endorse the health action already in their Pathways, this reinforces my message and adds extra weight to it. Patients are much more likely to follow through, with life-changing or even life-saving impact for them."

"I find it very easy to integrate Personal Health Pathways into the digital workings at my practice. It's become part of the way we care for our patients."

Dr Ramkissoon endorses recommended health actions during consultations using Discovery HealthID (Discovery's electronic patient record, which doctors use with member consent, providing seamless access to their medical history).

"Some of my patients simply want to live healthy lives. Personal Health Pathways educates them and creates greater awareness about looking after their health. Having up to two health actions to complete by a set date, that are relevant to them, alongside a weekly exercise goal to meet - and earning rewards for engaging - is truly motivating for those wanting to just stay healthy."

As patients earn rewards and funds into their Personal Health Funds, they are encouraged to engage more

Patients earn rewards (through Discovery Health) for engaging, and they earn funds into their Personal Health Fund (through Discovery Health Medical Scheme), which they can use for day-to-day healthcare expenses. That eases pressure on both their healthcare benefits and their own budgets.

Dr Ramkissoon says the financial rewards motivate patients to engage with Personal Health Pathways, but believes something even more important happens in the consulting room.

"When patients see their doctor engaging with them through Personal Health Pathways, it reinforces that you're genuinely invested in protecting their health."

She encourages other general practitioners to make Personal Health Pathways part of routine patient care.

"Whenever we have the opportunity, my staff and I encourage Discovery Health Medical Scheme member patients to activate their Personal Health Pathways and complete their recommended health actions."

"For me, Personal Health Pathways is undoubtedly a game changer in proactive healthcare management. It empowers patients to take preventive action, helps them stay healthier for longer and supports better health outcomes."

Helping diagnose disease earlier

"I've had two patients diagnosed with prostate cancer after they went for prostate screenings recommended by their Personal Health Pathways," says Dr Ramkissoon.

"When we diagnose disease early, treatment is generally simpler, outcomes are better and patients enjoy a better quality of life in the long term."

"In the past we often diagnosed cancers at advanced stages because patients didn't always know when they should be screened."

"Personal Health Pathways is helping change that. Patients now know exactly when they should go for important screenings. That means cancers and other conditions are much more likely to be detected early."

What is Personal Health Pathways? What is the Personal Health Fund?

Personal Health Pathways is a free tool available to adult DHMS members via the Discovery Health app. It provides personalised, real-time health recommendations based on each member's unique profile. As a member's health journey evolves, so does their pathway, continuously updating based on their specific health status, risk profile and engagement patterns and dynamically adjusting as new health data become available.

• - Personal Health Pathways combines artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and behavioural science. The platform uses more than 50 million life years of health claims and clinical data, along with nearly 30 million life years of exercise and lifestyle data gathered through Vitality in South Africa, to recommend actions that have the greatest potential to improve health outcomes.

Each member's Personal Health Pathways cycle provides up to two clinical actions (which must be completed by a set date, and can be deferred to a later deadline) and one weekly exercise goal (which, for Vitality members, is the same as their weekly Vitality Active Rewards Goal).

Members can also choose to take on challenges. Challenges are exciting, goal-driven health journeys (from Better Health Challenges to Move More and Sleep Well challenges which run over a few weeks), each made up of simple, actionable steps, designed to help you build healthy habits and achieve meaningful results.

Members who complete their health actions and achieve their weekly exercise goals earn rewards (through Discovery Health) for engaging, including shopping vouchers, Ðiscovery Miles and instant rewards. Those Scheme members who are also Vitality members earn personalised rewards through Personal Health Pathways in addition to their Vitality rewards.

Members also earn up to R500 into their Personal Health Fund (through Discovery Health Medical Scheme) for each completed action. The funds accumulated in the Personal Health Fund can be used for day-to-day medical expenses, including GP and specialist consultations, medicine, radiology and pathology. In 2026, you can earn up to R12,000 per policy in the Personal Health Fund, depending on your chosen plan. You can also earn up to R500 for each recommended Personal Health Pathway action you complete, up to a maximum of R3,000 per adult and R1,500 per child.