Income Taxes (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Stock compensation tax deductions	$ 6,839,000	$ 6,653,000
Tax holiday savings	1,000,000
Diluted earnings per share, increase	$ 0.01
Indemnification asset amount	29,000,000
Undistributed earnings indefinitely reinvested outside the United States	14,000,000
Federal [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards	243,000,000
Income tax examination, remaining tax years	1993 to 2011
Foreign Country [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Income tax examination, remaining tax years	2008 to 2011
State [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards	8,000,000
Income tax examination, remaining tax years	2003 to 2011
Canadian [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards	15,000,000
Net operating loss carryovers, expiration date	2026
Income tax examination, remaining tax years	2002 to 2011
Related To Stock Compensation [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards	7,000,000
Eclipsys [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Net operating losses subject to annual limitation on usage per year	48,000,000
Eclipsys [Member] | Federal [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Acquired net operating losses	265,000,000
Allscripts [Member] | Federal [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Net operating losses subject to annual limitation on usage per year	$ 62,000,000
Partially Expire [Member] | Foreign Country [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Tax holiday expiration date	2012
Fully Expire [Member] | Foreign Country [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Tax holiday expiration date	2017