CJ Logistics deploys AI cardiac screening for delivery workers

CJ Logistics has introduced AI-powered electrocardiogram analysis into its health screening program for delivery workers, upgrading a nationwide mobile checkup service designed to reach couriers who have little time to visit hospitals and to identify those at risk of heart disease earlier.

The company said Tuesday it is the first in the logistics industry to apply an AI-based early cardiac diagnosis program to on-site mobile health screenings for delivery workers.

Specialist medical institutions conduct the mobile screenings by traveling directly to about 300 delivery sub-terminals across the country, sparing workers from having to take time off to visit a clinic. This year's screening schedule runs through the end of August.

The checkup covers more than 60 items. On top of standard tests for cerebrovascular disease, blood work, hypertension and liver cancer, the program includes a rheumatoid arthritis panel and a C-reactive protein test to screen for infections such as colds and pneumonia.

Starting this year, an AI electrocardiogram test has been added to the lineup. It is designed to detect four major cardiac conditions — arrhythmia, heart failure, acute myocardial infarction and valvular disease — more quickly and precisely than conventional ECG screening.

The AI analysis has already proven its value in the field. Among 1,361 workers initially classified as normal under conventional readings, the AI flagged an additional 35 as high-risk — cases that would likely have been missed under the previous approach.

The AI system draws on a dataset of more than 20 million ECG records and waveforms. Early detection is critical for heart disease: Statistics Korea data show that in 2024, the cardiac disease mortality rate stood at 65.7 per 100,000 people, making it one of the leading causes of death after cancer.

CJ Logistics has operated a health screening program for delivery workers since 2013. Because couriers are classified as independent contractors, the company is not legally required to provide screenings, yet it covers the full cost.

The program is also structured around field accessibility. At some delivery companies, workers must arrange their own time to visit affiliated hospitals, which can suppress participation rates. CJ Logistics counters this by bringing screenings directly to sub-terminals and maintaining a hospital referral network that offers appointments on weekends and evenings.

Worker health and safety management has emerged as a growing priority across the delivery industry alongside competition over speed and volume. The physical demands of the job — extreme heat, long hours behind the wheel, and repetitive loading and unloading — have heightened the need for regular checkups and preventive care.

Beyond health screenings, CJ Logistics runs a broader welfare program for delivery workers that includes tuition support, childbirth allowances, school-enrollment bonuses and condolence payments. The company has also expanded leave entitlements — covering childbirth, bereavement and special circumstances — to strengthen rest rights and improve working conditions.

CJ Logistics plans to keep strengthening its health management system for delivery workers, centering on mobile on-site screenings. The company aims to improve the program's effectiveness by using AI-based diagnostic technology to catch diseases early and provide follow-up care for high-risk individuals.

"A satisfaction survey of delivery workers who received health screenings last year scored 4.61 out of 5, and we achieved a participation rate of 82 percent," a company official said. "We will keep working to create an environment where delivery workers can do their jobs in better health and safety."