Personal Health Pathways helps keep Lakin healthy, physically active, in control of her autoimmune disease, and earning rewards as she engages!

"I truly believe that health is wealth," says Lakin Morgan-Baatjies, 42. "You can have the best job, success, money - but if you're not healthy, none of it matters."

Since Personal Health Pathways launched in January 2025, Andrew has completed all of the next best actions - personalised health prompts tailored to his age, risk profile and health history - via his Pathway on his Discovery Health app.

Lakin was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition several years ago and knows the importance of managing her health carefully to avoid flare-ups. That's why she's embraced Personal Health Pathways - a super-personalised journey designed to help her take the steps she needs to stay well and earn rewards along the way.

Personal Health Pathways: A tool tailored to Lakin's medical history and health needs

"What makes Personal Health Pathways stand out is how personalised it is. Since January this year, I've received recommended actions to go for my yearly blood tests and six-monthly checkups with my doctor - all essential to managing my chronic condition. The recommended actions are clearly based on my medical history, so I know they're relevant and important."

"This tool has made a huge difference in my life. It gives me peace of mind knowing I'm not missing anything when it comes to supporting my health. I love seeing the dark blue health ring closing on the app when I complete my recommended actions."

Staying ahead of the flu - and more

Personal Health Pathways has also helped Lakin protect her health in other ways.

"This winter, one of my recommended actions was to get my flu vaccination for the year. Honestly, I probably would've forgotten if I hadn't received the recommended action. This winter, all my colleagues came down with the flu, but I didn't. I really believe the flu shot, which I would never have gone for had it not been for my Personal Health Pathway, made the difference in keeping me healthy. When you live with an autoimmune condition, avoiding things like the flu is really important, as it can make you sick for longer than most people."

Another recommended action in her pathway was for Lakin to book a dental checkup - an action that had a ripple effect on her family.

"I ended up booking for myself, my husband and our seven-year-old son. At the appointment, the dentist found cavities in my son's teeth. We were able to treat them early, before they got worse. Such a relief for me and for him, as we'd otherwise have seen them progress!"

Small actions with big impact

Lakin receives many recommended actions for preventative health checks, which she recognises as important. However, like many people, she acknowledges that she sometimes delays acting on them as life gets in the way.

"I wanted to go for a Pap smear, for example. But life gets busy, and things like that often get delayed. By giving me a set date - always manageable - by which to complete each recommended action, Personal Health Pathways brings critical health checks, like going for a Pap smear, back to the top of my mind. The platform helps me act so that I am always ahead of any health issues that could come up without regular checks."

Lakin's Pathway also includes weekly physical activity goals linked to her Vitality profile, which show as a light blue ring on her pathway. They close when she reaches her health goal each week.

"Seeing the little icon of the running person in the light blue physical activity ring in the app motivates me to get moving and to close the ring."

"All in all, completing recommended actions - whether it's going for a checkup or doing some exercise - gives me a real sense of achievement."

Convenience that fits into a busy life

"I absolutely love how easy Personal Health Pathways is to use. In February, I had to travel to Germany for work and couldn't complete some recommended actions on time. I was able to snooze them and pick them up when I got back."

"I also love that the app automatically picks up when I've completed a recommended action through a claim, like a flu shot or doctor's visit. It's seamless. There's no need for me to manually log anything. That saves time and reduces admin."

Completing recommended actions and closing her rings even feels like fun to Lakin.

"It's like a game. And I'm competitive by nature, so I challenge myself to stay on track. The fact that Personal Health Pathways is so simple makes it easy for almost anyone to use."

Earning while staying well

Another favourite for Lakin? The rewards.

"The first time I completed a recommended action, R500 went straight into my Personal Health Fund. That money was used to pay for my prescription medicine, so I didn't have to dip into my Medical Savings Account. I also love racking up Ðiscovery Miles."

"I keep asking people if they are Discovery Health Medical Scheme members, and if they know about Personal Health Pathways. If they don't, I pull out my phone and show them how it all works!"

What is Personal Health Pathways?

Personal Health Pathways is a free tool available to adult Discovery Health Medical Scheme members in the Discovery Health app. It provides personalised, real-time health recommendations called recommended actions 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 becomes 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.

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.