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.

The center already features a series of health industry reports addressing a range of timely and relevant topics including:

• Bending the Curve on the Path to High Performance: Beyond Health Care Reform
• Always On, Always Connected: How Technology Will Transform the Future of Chronic Care
• Health Plans: Achieving High Performance in Uncertain Times
• Moving Toward High Performance Through Electronic Medical Record Programs
• Public Health: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
• Study of Consumer Health Care Information: An International Comparison
• Achieving High Performance Under ICD-10

*ICD-10 is the tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases code set. Its introduction into the U.S. health care system will affect all participants in the health care sector.

Accenture’s health professionals provide innovative solutions to both the private and public sectors of the healthcare industry, including integrated healthcare providers, health insurers, managed care organizations and public health organizations. The company has thousands of professionals dedicated to helping organizations in the health industry achieve and sustain high performance.

Based in London and Chicago, the Accenture Innovation Center for Health is part of the Accenture Institute for Health & Public Service Value. The Institute is dedicated to promoting high performance in the healthcare sector and in public-service delivery, policy-making and governance. Through research and development initiatives, the Institute aims to help healthcare and public-service organizations deliver better social, economic and health outcomes for the people they serve.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. With approximately 177,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, the company generated net revenues of US$21.58 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2009. Its home page is www.accenture.com.