Skip to main content

Perficient Enables Providers to Better Engage with the Empowered Health Consumer

Leading healthcare IT provider Perficient to demonstrate expertise in portal and social, business intelligence and analytics, and interoperability solutions at HIMSS 2014 

SAINT LOUIS (Feb. 18, 2014) The healthcare industry has undergone significant changes in recent years as a result of legislation and an increasingly competitive market, and more importantly, the rise of the empowered consumer. Consumers have become accustomed to a connected way of life in how they shop or communicate with friends. As a result, today’s healthcare consumers have greater expectations for quality and convenience of care, forcing providers and payers to evolve or risk obsolescence. Perficient, Inc. (NASDAQ: PRFT), a leading information technology consulting firm serving Global 2000 and other large enterprise customers throughout North America, today announced it will attend the 2014 HIMSS Annual Conference and Exhibition, where its healthcare experts will showcase how healthcare providers can better engage with their consumers through social, mobile and collaborative technology solutions.

“With the launch of the Affordable Care Act, people have a renewed attention on their healthcare, and with new technologies hitting the market, including ‘wearables’ like Nike Fuel, FitBit and Misfit’s Shine censors, people now have the ability to track and maintain their health independently,” said Martin Sizemore, principal, healthcare strategic advisory services for Perficient’s national healthcare business practice. “Add to this the fact that today’s consumer wants to stay connected, interact with others through various channels and consume information at a rapid pace, and healthcare organizations are left wondering how to better engage with current consumers and develop relationships with unknown consumers in the time, place and method they choose.”

As a result of the rise of the empowered consumer, Perficient is experiencing significant growth in its healthcare practice, delivering Connected Health solutions to its clients. Perficient’s Connected Health solutions engage patients, members, providers and the health community through portal, web content management and social collaboration technology solutions that maximize healthcare resources and provide increased and flexible opportunities for healthcare consumers to engage with their care.

“The ultimate goal in engaging healthcare consumers is to empower patients with knowledge about their health and access to care.  To best meet this objective, Perficient implements Connected Health solutions that help its clients meet their consumers – where they are – by delivering a consistent and positive digital experience across a variety of communications channels including websites, patient portals, tablets, social media and mobile platforms,” said Steven Scott, general manager, Perficient’s national healthcare business practice. “Mobile technology, specifically, has emerged as a key enabler for connecting and empowering both patients and clinicians. Reports show that more than 90 percent of U.S. adults have adopted mobile technology and more than half of those use smartphones. Mobile has become a prolific channel for engaging and empowering consumers helping them make informed decisions about their care.”  

Mobile Makes an Impact
Recently, one of the largest private group practices in the United States determined it needed to better engage patients with valuable healthcare information using social media and mobile technology in order to increase the health of its patient population. The organization knew its public website played a critical role in this process. Perficient partnered with the practice to deliver a Connected Health solution that included a substantial redesign and user experience overhaul of its public-facing website. The new website offers an improved user experience for patients and prospective patients alike, and through the use of responsive design and a sound digital experience strategy, the client can now effectively engage mobile users and deliver content to a wide range of devices. As a result of its ability to reach consumers when, where and how they prefer, the medical practice can better engage with its consumers, driving healthy behaviors, improving patient care and significantly reducing the cost of care.

“It’s a brave new world for the healthcare industry.  Providers recognize they have to promote a dialogue with patients if they want to improve care. Social media and mobile technology is the way to do it. Yet, most providers aren’t experienced in conducting business in this manner. One of the top questions clients ask is how to mobile-enable their applications and communication channels to engage in that dialogue. Our work with the largest private medical practice is a prime example of how implementing a Connected Health solution can improve business results and patient care,” continued Sizemore.

Engage with Perficient at HIMSS14
During HIMSS14, Perficient will continue the Connected Health and patient engagement conversation.  Experts will be available in Booth #2035 to discuss key focus areas challenging healthcare organizations including social and collaboration, business intelligence and analytics, and integration and interoperability. Specifically, visitors to Perficient’s booth can learn how, through its partnerships with leading technology innovators – IBM, Microsoft, Oracle and salesforce.com – Perficient helps clients deliver healthcare technology solutions that deliver a significant return on investment.

To further address the healthcare industry engagement topic, Perficient has released a new whitepaper, “Top 10 Connected Health Trends” in conjunction with HIMSS. This whitepaper addresses the key trends impacting the industry in 2014, and how as technology evolves and the methods by which consumers engage in their health is changing, healthcare providers and health plans must adapt in order to better engage with consumers, improve care and reduce costs.

Find out more
For more information on Perficient’s expertise in healthcare technology including Connected Health, regulatory compliance, system interoperability, information exchange, and business intelligence and analytics, visit http://www.perficient.com/himss.

For live updates throughout the event, follow Perficient experts via social media by viewing their Healthcare IT blog and on Twitter @Perficient_HC.

About Perficient
Perficient is a leading information technology consulting firm serving Global 2000 and enterprise customers throughout North America. Perficient’s professionals serve clients from a network of offices across North America and three offshore locations, in Eastern Europe, India, and China. Perficient helps clients use Internet-based technologies to improve productivity and competitiveness, strengthen relationships with customers, suppliers and partners, and reduce information technology costs. Perficient, traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, is a member of the Russell 2000® index and the S&P SmallCap 600 index. Perficient is an award-winning “Premier Level” IBM business partner, a Microsoft National Systems Integrator and Gold Certified Partner, an Oracle Platinum Partner, a Gold Salesforce.com Cloud Alliance Partner, a TeamTIBCO partner, and an EMC Select Services Team Partner. For more information, please visit www.perficient.com.

Safe Harbor Statement
Some of the statements contained in this news release that are not purely historical statements discuss future expectations or state other forward-looking information related to financial results and business outlook for 2014.  Those statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the statements.  The “forward-looking” information is based on management’s current intent, belief, expectations, estimates, and projections regarding our company and our industry.  You should be aware that those statements only reflect our predictions.  Actual events or results may differ substantially.  Important factors that could cause our actual results to be materially different from the forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to) those disclosed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. This cautionary statement is provided pursuant to Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking statements in this release are made only as of the date hereof and we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement for any reason, even if new information becomes available or other events occur in the future.