Canadian doctors spend 18.5 million hours on unnecessary paperwork, says new report
Canadian doctors spend 18.5 million hours per year on unnecessary administrative work -- the equivalent of more than 55 million patient visits -- a report published Monday by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business says.
Dr. Leisha Hawker, president of Doctors Nova Scotia, which represents all licensed physicians in the province, said eliminating paperwork redundancies and shortening medical forms can improve patient care and reduce burnout experienced by doctors.
"A lot of physicians are typically doing this work after hours, early in the morning before clinics open, on non-existent lunch breaks, or after the sun goes down," Hawker said in an interview. She said administrative work typically involves "navigating clumsy electronic medical records or filling out forms."
A physician spends more than 10 hours a week on medical paperwork, she said, much of which is required by the provincial government for programs like pharmacy care or disability support. Hawker said that some medical forms are necessary, but many are longer and more detailed than they need to be.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business report, titled "Patients before Paperwork," recommends that provinces reduce red tape in medicine by 10 per cent. The federation estimates that nationally, 10 per cent less paperwork would save time equivalent to 5.5 million patient visits.
Hawker said both doctors and patients would see the benefit.
"If we improve the efficiency of the forms by 10 or 20 per cent -- because of the sheer volume of time that forms take to be completed by physicians -- that would be a pretty dramatic improvement," she said. In Nova Scotia, she said, a 10 per cent reduction in time spent on paperwork would theoretically allow for about 150,000 more patient visits per year.
"The things that bring physicians joy in medicine are actually talking to patients and helping improve their health and their lives. Anything that's taking physicians away from direct patient care is contributing to burnout," she said.
Laura Jones, an executive vice-president with the business federation and co-author of the report, said in an interview Monday that Nova Scotia is leading the way in Canada in reducing red tape in medicine.
She said that as Canadians worry about strain on the health system, looking at reducing unnecessary administrative work efficiency is "too often overlooked."
"Red tape reduction is an incredibly powerful tool that has a lot of potential to improve lives," Jones said.
Doctors Nova Scotia has been working with the Department of Health and the Office of Regulatory Affairs since 2019 to identify paperwork redundancies. So far, three forms used by Nova Scotia physicians have been simplified.
The professional medical association estimates that out of the 1.36 million hours of work a year spent by physicians on administrative tasks, about 500,000 of these hours are doing work that is unnecessary. Before the CFIB report, Doctors Nova Scotia had made a goal of reducing administrative work hours by 50,000 hours a year.
The national estimates in the new study are extrapolated to all provinces data from a 2020 Nova Scotia study. That study, conducted by Doctors Nova Scotia and the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness, interviewed 500 physicians who reported that on average, 38 per cent of their administrative work is unnecessary.
Federation spokesperson Dariya Baiguzhiyeva said the organization chose to study medical administrative burden because its members have said health care should be a top priority for government. "In looking at how to navigate this area on behalf of our members, we identified red tape concerns among physicians as an area where we could do some work," Baiguzhiyeva said in an email.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2023.
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6958682.1720639670!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Canada to announce plan to reach NATO target, spend 2% of GDP on defence: sources
After facing months of pressure, senior government sources tell CTV News that Canada will unveil its plan on Thursday on how to reach its NATO commitment to spend two per cent of its GDP on defence.
His brother was found dead, his mother was arrested before this baby was found crawling by a highway
A Louisiana sheriff says a one-year-old 'miracle baby' survived two days of sometimes stormy weather before a truck driver spotted him crawling along a roadside the day after his four-year-old brother was found dead and his mother was arrested in Mississippi.
Coolers seized from Vancouver encampment during heat wave
Rangers seized two coolers from a person living in a tent in Vancouver's CRAB Park Tuesday as a heat wave scorched the city, the park board has confirmed.
Frank Stronach's granddaughter seeks company docs related to misconduct allegations
The granddaughter of billionaire businessman Frank Stronach is asking an Ontario court to order the family business to disclose any documents that might exist related to complaints of sexual misconduct against him and settlements involving complainants.
Video shows police officer taking firefighter's hose, spraying people in East Vancouver
The Vancouver Police Department is defending the actions of an officer who was recorded taking a firefighter's water hose and spraying two people in the head on Canada Day.
Actor George Clooney, a high-profile Biden supporter and fundraiser, asks president to leave race
Movie star and lifelong Democrat George Clooney added his voice to calls for Joe Biden to leave the presidential race on Wednesday, just weeks after headlining a fundraiser that brought in a record single-night haul for the president's reelection campaign.
Ellen DeGeneres is 'done' after her Netflix special
Ellen DeGeneres has reportedly said she's ready to tap out of performing. The former daytime talk show host let that be known during a recent standup show at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, California.
Costco to increase annual membership fee to $65 this September
Costco is increasing its annual membership fees in Canada and the U.S. this fall to $65.
Family of 3 killed in tragic collision on B.C. highway, RCMP say
A family of three was killed in a tragic head-on collision with a tractor trailer in B.C.'s Fraser Valley this week, authorities have confirmed. The deceased are two adults and an infant.