Abstract: In point of care system is provided that includes an instrument data manager (IDM) configured to communicate with a diagnostic engine and to (1) obtain identification (ID) information of a patient for which a test is to be performed; (2) obtain ID information of a diagnostic consumable to be used to collect a sample from the patient; (3) link the obtained patient ID information with the obtained diagnostic consumable ID information; and (4) restrict testing using the diagnostic engine by (a) prior to performing a test on a sample collected with a diagnostic consumable, determine ID information of the diagnostic consumable at the diagnostic engine; (b) determine whether the diagnostic consumable is linked with patient information within the IDM; and (c) if so, allow the diagnostic engine to perform a test on the sample collected with the diagnostic consumable. Numerous other embodiments are provided.

Abstract: A point of care system may comprise a plurality of diagnostic engines and an IDM in electronic communication with each of the plurality of diagnostic engines. Each of the plurality of diagnostic engines may perform testing on a sample inserted into the diagnostic engine. The IDM may be configured to communicate with each of the plurality of diagnostic engines to enable a plurality of tests to be performed on multiple different samples substantially simultaneously by a plurality of users using the plurality of diagnostic engines and to present a single user interface for managing testing by the plurality of diagnostic engines and for receiving the results of tests performed by each of the plurality of diagnostic engines.