Oct. 28, 2009 (Business Wire) -- Accenture (NYSE: ACN) today launched the Accenture Innovation Center for Health in response to the growing global demand for insights into and strategies to confront the top health issues and challenges affecting citizens worldwide. The center serves as the focal point for Accenture’s thought capital and proven assets for tackling the most pressing challenges facing the global health industry.

Through the center Accenture will address critical dimensions of improving the performance of healthcare systems, including the impact of healthcare reform in multiple countries, health information exchanges, electronic medical records, using data to drive clinical transformation and integrated health management, and other payer and provider issues and solutions, including ICD-10 compliance.*

Accenture will leverage its core capabilities and global health experience working with healthcare providers, payers, government health agencies, pharmaceutical companies and medical products companies to drive breakthrough innovations in key areas such as:

• Connected health IT solutions such as health information exchanges that are designed to enable more efficient information-sharing and improve clinical outcomes while reducing operating costs;
• Provider clinical solutions that combine process redesign, change and risk management, and technology to achieve clinical transformation; and
• Consumer-centric health management solutions including disease management, wellness and prevention and consumer-directed products to improve health outcomes and lower medical and administrative costs.

“In addition to offering high-impact solutions to our clients, we want to help them both understand the market forces driving the need for reform and develop and implement long-term strategies for delivering quality care and services in the most cost-effective ways,” said Russ Nash, managing director of Accenture’s global health industry practice. “The center will provide research, analysis and actionable solutions to the many segments that comprise the healthcare market.”

By producing comprehensive, fact-based research reports, organizing client workshops, and facilitating industry forums, the center will identify and develop innovative ideas and solutions to help clients achieve high performance in the healthcare industry.