By Anand Kapai

Let me start with a simple question: when was the last time you used ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, or another AI tool?

What is interesting is not the technology itself, but the behavior behind it. Across industries, people are turning to AI to solve very human challenges: too much complexity, too little time, and too many decisions that need to be made faster. Recent research¹ suggests about 1 in 6 working-age adults globally, around 17%, now use AI tools, often to improve productivity and save time².

In healthcare, this becomes even more important. Time is not just a productivity metric. Time is patient care. Every minute spent searching for information, documenting results, reconciling systems, or preparing reports is a minute that could support patients, quality improvement, staff development, or faster clinical decisions.

Every Second Creates Data, but Not Every Second Creates Insight

Healthcare networks create data every second: patients, quality control, devices, operators, compliance, and workflow data. An average hospital is estimated to generate about 137 terabytes of data each day.³ The challenge is not creating data; it is about using it. A World Economic Forum article reports that approximately 97% of hospital data worldwide remains underutilized.⁴

Teams may have the data they need but lack the visibility to act. That gap between available data and actionable insight is where time is lost. It can delay quality review, slow operator recertification, obscure device downtime or patient-result errors, and increase administrative burden on already stretched teams.

So, the better question is not whether we have enough data. We do. The question is whether we can turn it into insight quickly enough to make a difference.

Your Own Ecosystem of Data, but Your Time Is Too Valuable to Waste

Now bring this closer to the laboratory and point-of-care professionals. A large health system may manage dozens of sites, hundreds of devices, thousands of operators, and millions of data points across patient testing, quality control, device events, and competency. The network may be distributed, but oversight, compliance, and performance often rest with a relatively small group of experts.

For point-of-care coordinators, the day can include accreditation requirements, operator issues, device alerts, QC review, reporting needs, and multiple systems competing for attention. The pressure is not only to keep the program running, but to keep it compliant, consistent, efficient, and patient-centered.

In this environment, big data presents big potential. Greater insight and efficiency can lead to better outcomes, sooner. But that promise can feel out of reach when data is available but not accessible, reports are static, and alerts appear without clear prioritization.

Middleware systems were meant to help. Automation and digitization reduced manual work, but in many point-of-care environments they also introduced new complexity: multiple servers, trainings, maintenance routines, and ways of completing the same tasks across different devices and systems.
Then there is documentation. One U.S. study found that nurses manually documented an average of 631–875 flowsheet data points during a 12-hour shift in ICU and acute care settings, excluding device-integrated data. The same study notes prior research showing nurses spend approximately 19%–35% of practice time documenting care.

This is why the future of point-of-care Informatics must be built around a simple idea: giving time back to the people doing the work. Because what matters most is not the system, screen, report, or dashboard. What matters most is patient care.

From More Systems to Smarter Workflows

The next generation of point-of-care data management cannot be about adding another software layer. Healthcare needs solutions that remove friction from daily work.

That means consolidating information into workflows that reflect how point-of-care teams operate: dashboards that focus attention on what needs action now, faster review of QC data, device events, patient-result errors, certifications, and workload trends, and fewer disconnected systems between teams and the information they need.

It also means listening to the people closest to the work. Healthcare product development should not happen in isolation. The best solutions are shaped by the people who use them, challenge them, and rely on them when pressure is high.

That is why Siemens Healthineers developed Atellica Connect POC Insights with extensive input from point-of-care coordinators and laboratory professionals. The goal was not to create just another data management product, but a smarter, easier-to-use platform that helps teams manage their point-of-care testing program in one place.

Built with our Point-of-Care Community at the Heart

Healthcare workflows are too complex, and the stakes too high, for solutions to be designed at a distance. We have to understand what users are trying to accomplish, what slows them down, and what would help them act faster and with more confidence.

Atellica Connect POC Insights was shaped by years of customer input and real-world feedback from point-of-care professionals managing complex, high-pressure networks. It reflects a simple belief: technology should not replace expertise; it should amplify it. With better visibility, smarter workflows, and intuitive tools, teams can act with greater confidence and focus their time where it matters most.

Leading in Open Connectivity

Point-of-care testing environments are rarely uniform. They often include multiple device types, manufacturers, care locations, and stakeholder needs. Coordinators may need visibility across many testing workflows. IT teams may need simplified infrastructure. Lab leaders may need standardization, quality oversight, and evidence of continuous improvement.

This is why connectivity matters. Atellica Connect POC Insights is a leader in open connectivity with 260+ device interfaces across more than 80 manufacturers. The value is not just the number, but the ability to connect the devices that work best for your program to one system. With a consolidated view, teams can move from fragmented oversight to coordinated action.

Bigger Picture. Fewer Clicks.

One of the most important shifts in healthcare technology is the move from passive reporting to actionable insight. Atellica Connect POC Insights helps teams move faster from data to decision. Built-in analytics and interactive data help visualize trends across workload, device events, QC, patient results, and operator certifications.

That may sound operational, but the clinical impact is real. Informatics is more than data management. It is a way to improve governance, quality, and consistency across the point-of-care testing program.

Operator Management Should Not Be a Manual Burden

Operator management is one of the most underestimated challenges in point-of-care testing. Large health systems may have thousands of operators across multiple locations, each requiring training, certification, recertification, and oversight. Manual tracking is time-consuming, error prone, and can create disruptions when certifications lapse or operators are unexpectedly locked out.

Atellica Connect POC Insights centralizes operator oversight by connecting operator records, certification status, training activities, and automated recertification. Teams can reduce manual follow-up and quickly see who is ready, who needs attention, and where training gaps may exist.