Healthcare Organizations Turn to AI to Organize Unstructured Data
Healthcare systems generate enormous amounts of unstructured data-clinical notes, imaging reports, patient communications-that remain difficult to access and share across departments. Shawn Freligh, general manager at Upland Software, says artificial intelligence can process this data and enable it to flow freely through organizational systems.
The problem is practical. Most healthcare data exists in formats that traditional databases struggle to organize. Patient records scatter across multiple systems. Information that could inform clinical decisions or improve operations stays locked in silos.
AI can extract meaning from these unstructured sources, converting them into usable information that moves through workflows without manual intervention. This reduces the friction between data collection and data use.
The approach addresses a core operational challenge for health systems. Better data flow means faster access to patient information, fewer redundant tests, and clearer visibility into organizational performance.
Freligh made these comments at HIMSS26 in May 2026, during a discussion on clinical workflows and data management.
Healthcare professionals working with data systems, clinical operations, or health IT infrastructure should consider how data analysis tools and AI for healthcare applications can address bottlenecks in their organizations.
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