Acquisition	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Acquisition [Abstract]
Business Acquisition, Integration, Restructuring and Other Related Costs [Text Block]	Acquisition On November 3, 2010, the Company acquired 100% of the membership interest in Group DCA, a privately held interactive digital communications company serving the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and healthcare industries. The primary reason for the acquisition of Group DCA was to leverage the strength of its Internet, multimedia, tablet PC, dimensional direct mail and proprietary software, DIAGRAM^™, in the delivery of non-personal selling solutions that accommodate the schedules of healthcare providers. Group DCA’s proprietary software also yields meaningful response data that allows clients the opportunity to better understand the needs and opinions of their audiences and, in turn, the opportunity to market to their audiences more effectively. With the combination of PDI’s traditional outsourced personal promotional services and Group DCA’s e-detailing, patient education communications and other digital communications, the Company expected to be better positioned to offer customers increased insight and greater engagement, which should result in integrated information and more impactful messages being delivered to health care providers across multiple communication channels. The acquisition has been accounted for as a purchase, subject to the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification 805-10-50 (ASC 805-10-50), and has been treated as an asset acquisition for tax purposes. The Company paid cash (net) of approximately $23.9 million, of which $1.3 million was placed in escrow. The escrow amount was paid out during the quarter ended June 30, 2012. Prior to being amended, the purchase agreement also provided for the former members of Group DCA to earn up to an additional $30.0 million from the date of acquisition through December 31, 2012 (contingent earn-out fee or contingent consideration). These earn-outs were based on Group DCA’s achievement of revenue and gross profit metrics and ranged up to: $5.0 million in the period ended December 31, 2010; and $12.5 million in each of the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2012. Up to $2.5 million of the $12.5 million in each of the years ending December 31, 2011 and 2012 was related to certain integration activities. The metrics for payments related to the period ended December 31, 2010 were not achieved. In connection with the transaction, the Company recorded $18.9 million of goodwill, all of which is deductible for tax purposes, and $8.4 million in other identifiable intangible assets as of December 31, 2010. The identified finite-lived intangible assets, the healthcare provider database and technology, had a weighted average amortization period of 7.4 years. The tradename, which was estimated to have an indefinite useful life, was not amortized. See Note 7, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, for additional information. The Company also recorded $4.0 million, the estimated fair value of deferred revenue, using a cost build-up approach. The cost build-up approach determines fair value by estimating the costs relating to fulfilling the obligations plus a normal profit margin of a market participant, less an estimated selling effort. The Company determined the acquisition date fair value of the contingent consideration of $1.6 million based on a probability-weighted income approach derived from revenue estimates and a probability assessment with respect to the likelihood of achieving the various earn-out criteria. The fair value measurement was based on significant subjective assumptions and inputs not observable in the market and thus represents a Level 3 fair value measurement. In addition, the Company recorded an indemnification asset and assumed a liability of approximately $0.9 million related to an ongoing sales tax assessment related to transactions that occurred prior to the acquisition date. Any subsequent changes to the final purchase price allocation above will be adjusted in the statement of operations and comprehensive loss accordingly. In November 2011, the Company announced that it amended the Group DCA purchase agreement to buy out the contingent earn-out fee for $3.4 million. In connection with the signing of the amendment to the purchase agreement, the Company wrote-off the $1.6 million of contingent consideration recorded as part of the acquisition through the statement of operations and comprehensive loss during the year ended December 31, 2011. The buyout of the contingent earn-out fee was paid during the year ended December 31, 2012. See Note 4, Fair Value Measurements, for further information. In the fourth quarter of 2012, as a result of the Company's annual goodwill and other intangible impairment tests, the Company wrote-off $16.4 million of goodwill and the intangible asset balance of $6.4 million. For more details, see Note 7, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.

Acquisition

On November 3, 2010, the Company acquired 100% of the membership interest in Group DCA, a privately held interactive digital communications company serving the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and healthcare industries. The primary reason for the acquisition of Group DCA was to leverage the strength of its Internet, multimedia, tablet PC, dimensional direct mail and proprietary software, DIAGRAM^™, in the delivery of non-personal selling solutions that accommodate the schedules of healthcare providers. Group DCA’s proprietary software also yields meaningful response data that allows clients the opportunity to better understand the needs and opinions of their audiences and, in turn, the opportunity to market to their audiences more effectively. With the combination of PDI’s traditional outsourced personal promotional services and Group DCA’s e-detailing, patient education communications and other digital communications, the Company expected to be better positioned to offer customers increased insight and greater engagement, which should result in integrated information and more impactful messages being delivered to health care providers across multiple communication channels.

The acquisition has been accounted for as a purchase, subject to the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification 805-10-50 (ASC 805-10-50), and has been treated as an asset acquisition for tax purposes. The Company paid cash (net) of approximately $23.9 million, of which $1.3 million was placed in escrow. The escrow amount was paid out during the quarter ended June 30, 2012. Prior to being amended, the purchase agreement also provided for the former members of Group DCA to earn up to an additional $30.0 million from the date of acquisition through December 31, 2012 (contingent earn-out fee or contingent consideration). These earn-outs were based on Group DCA’s achievement of revenue and gross profit metrics and ranged up to: $5.0 million in the period ended December 31, 2010; and $12.5 million in each of the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2012. Up to $2.5 million of the $12.5 million in each of the years ending December 31, 2011 and 2012 was related to certain integration activities. The metrics for payments related to the period ended December 31, 2010 were not achieved.

In connection with the transaction, the Company recorded $18.9 million of goodwill, all of which is deductible for tax purposes, and $8.4 million in other identifiable intangible assets as of December 31, 2010. The identified finite-lived intangible assets, the healthcare provider database and technology, had a weighted average amortization period of 7.4 years. The tradename, which was estimated to have an indefinite useful life, was not amortized. See Note 7, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, for additional information. The Company also recorded $4.0 million, the estimated fair value of deferred revenue, using a cost build-up approach. The cost build-up approach determines fair value by estimating the costs relating to fulfilling the obligations plus a normal profit margin of a market participant, less an estimated selling effort.

The Company determined the acquisition date fair value of the contingent consideration of $1.6 million based on a probability-weighted income approach derived from revenue estimates and a probability assessment with respect to the likelihood of achieving the various earn-out criteria. The fair value measurement was based on significant subjective assumptions and inputs not observable in the market and thus represents a Level 3 fair value measurement. In addition, the Company recorded an indemnification asset and assumed a liability of approximately $0.9 million related to an ongoing sales tax assessment related to transactions that occurred prior to the acquisition date. Any subsequent changes to the final purchase price allocation above will be adjusted in the statement of operations and comprehensive loss accordingly.

In November 2011, the Company announced that it amended the Group DCA purchase agreement to buy out the contingent earn-out fee for $3.4 million. In connection with the signing of the amendment to the purchase agreement, the Company wrote-off the $1.6 million of contingent consideration recorded as part of the acquisition through the statement of operations and comprehensive loss during the year ended December 31, 2011. The buyout of the contingent earn-out fee was paid during the year ended December 31, 2012. See Note 4, Fair Value Measurements, for further information.

In the fourth quarter of 2012, as a result of the Company's annual goodwill and other intangible impairment tests, the Company wrote-off $16.4 million of goodwill and the intangible asset balance of $6.4 million. For more details, see Note 7, Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.