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Discovery Health Medical Scheme (DHMS) members who signed up for its AI-driven health prompts are more likely to undergo health checks and cancer screenings than other beneficiaries, affirming the scheme’s investment in technology aimed at improving member health and containing costs. DHMS is South Africa’s biggest open medical scheme with 2.7-million beneficiaries. More than 650,000 of its 2.1-million adult members have enrolled in the “personal health pathways” programme since it was launched in January 2025. The programme delivers personalised prompts to encourage people to undertake what DHMS terms “the next best thing” to manage their health risks ― from taking up exercise to booking a colonoscopy. Preliminary findings indicate participating members are three times more likely to go for health checks and twice as likely to undergo cancer screenings compared with people who have not enrolled in the programme, according to analysis by DHMS administrator Discovery Health.Nearly a quarter of the health checks for conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels flagged results that were out of range, said Discovery Health. Early detection enables people to take steps to improve their health before these conditions become more serious.“We have long understood the importance of prevention,” said Discovery Health CEO Ron Whelan. “What has changed is our ability to deliver it with precision and personalisation. Advances in data and technology enable us to guide each member towards the right actions at the right time — and that is materially improving outcomes.”By end-May just more than two-thirds (67%) of DHMS members enrolled on personal health pathways were living with a chronic condition and 66% of the actions on the programme were completed by members living with a chronic condition. A big proportion (38%) of the people who enrolled in the programme had poor health-seeking behaviour before they signed up and did not go for regular dental check-ups or get an annual flu shot. Many of the participants in the programme who had chronic conditions improved their adherence to clinical protocols, which include measures such as regular GP consultations and blood tests.The findings among DHMS members are in line with those reported earlier this year by insurer Discovery Life, a subsidiary of JSE-listed Discovery. It said in March that its clients were benefiting from individually tailored recommendations that enabled earlier diagnosis of disease. In 2025 its beneficiaries were prompted to undergo 18,000 health screenings, of which more than 9,500 were for cancer. Discovery Health said mortality among DHMS members has declined by 5.6% over the past decade due to behaviour change, earlier detection of disease and improvements in treatment for life-threatening illnesses such as cancer. Survival for people diagnosed with cancer has improved by 48%, with members living 7.1 years longer after diagnosis than they were 10 years ago. Innovative treatments such as biologics and immunotherapy are enabling people to live longer, but more members are living with multiple chronic conditions, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and mental health conditions. Mental health prevalence has soared by 80% among young people, partly due to greater awareness, said Discovery Health.
