Personal Health Pathways motivates Jabulile to take better care of her cervical health

Jabulile has been a member of the Discovery Health Medical Scheme for approximately two years. She first learned about Personal Health Pathways earlier this year while browsing the Discovery Health app. Personal Health Pathways launched in January.

"I saw a notification highlighting the new feature and its benefits, and became curious," she shares.

Jabulile realised that Personal Health Pathways could help her to stop procrastinating

"I found the Personal Health Pathways tile on the Discovery Health app and activated it within minutes. The activation process was simple and user-friendly - very smooth," she adds.

"I quickly realised that I had been postponing important preventive screenings, like my pap smear."

"My Personal Health Pathway highlighted this as a recommended action for me to complete, gave me a date by which to get this done and also showed me the rewards and funds into my Personal Health Fund that I would earn for getting it done. I also felt accountable knowing it was a recommendation that was personalised for me. That motivated me to finally take action."

So far, getting personalised advice on the health steps to take has been most for Jabulile

"Personal Health Pathways clearly shows me which health actions I needed to take and why they are important. It not only tells me what to do but also explains why it matters. I really like the explanations behind each recommendation. I now have a personalised checklist for my health."

"Instead of guessing what I should prioritise, Personal Health Pathways gives clear, evidence-based guidance relevant to my age, gender and health profile."

Getting her cervical cancer screening was one of her very first recommended health actions. "It made getting the pap smear done feel less scary and more like an informed choice," she explains. "I probably would have delayed it again for another year if Personal Health Pathways hadn't supported me through the process of getting it done," she says. "Completing my pap smear and knowing it was the right thing to do made me feel responsible and proud. Personal Health Pathways has helped me overcome procrastination and fear with information and clarity."

Aside from getting her pap smear done, Jabulile's recommended health actions also included a general health and wellness check, a dental check-up and a visit to her GP. She quickly got onto completing these health actions.

"I've found Personal Health Pathways to be incredibly helpful in guiding me on what checks and screenings I should not delay. It has helped me become more proactive in managing my health," she explains.

Now, with a focus on preventive screening, Jabulile is completing all her recommended health actions

"Instead of reacting to health issues, I now feel like I am actively protecting my future health and reducing my health risk. The sense of progress and clarity with each step taken makes the experience feel very rewarding in itself."

With this sense of accomplishment, Jabulile feels motivated to continue progressing and take the best care of herself that she can.

"Seeing the progress bar on the app tiles and knowing I am completing important milestones keeps me motivated. Personal Health Pathways reminds me that every action counts and that I'm building a healthier lifestyle," she adds.

Jabulile feels other Discovery Health Medical Scheme members should take control of their health too

"Many people delay preventive screenings because they don't have clear guidance or reminders," she explains.

"Personal Health Pathways makes health maintenance feel structured and personalised. So, I would tell other members that if they want to take control of their health and avoid future complications, this is the easiest way to start."

For Jabulile, the best part of her Personal Health Pathways journey (so far) has been...

"I know Personal Health Pathways will continue to guide me on the screenings or lifestyle actions I need to take. I feel it's helping me prevent health issues or to catch things early instead of waiting for problems to arise. And thanks to Personal Health Pathways, I know I really want to stay consistent with that approach to my health and wellness," she concludes.

What is Personal Health Pathways?

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.

Members earn rewards 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.

Then, each Personal Health Pathways cycle provides up to two clinical actions and one weekly exercise goal, which must be completed by a set date. Members can earn up to R500 into a new Personal Health Fund for each completed action, up to a maximum of R10,000. The money that is accumulated in the Personal Health Fund can be used for day-to-day medical expenses, including GP and specialist consultations, medicine, radiology and pathology.