Eliminating the 20 million hours of unnecessary paperwork and administrative tasks doctors face annually would free up the equivalent of 9,000 full-time physicians, according to Losing doctors to desk work: Canadian physicians lose 20 million hours each year to red tape report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) in partnership with the Canadian Medical Association (CMA).
The findings were released Monday as part of CFIB’s 17th annual Red Tape Awareness Week™.
For individual doctors that means reclaiming up to 199 hours a year, more than a full month of working time, said the report.
Corinne Pohlmann
“Health care challenges, such as long wait times, emergency department closures, and staffing shortages, affect everyone, including family doctors that own practices. Doctors are spending too much time on work that could be eliminated entirely or done by someone else. Cutting red tape isn’t optional anymore, it’s a critical solution we can’t afford to ignore,” said Corinne Pohlmann, CFIB executive vice-president of advocacy.
Family physicians were found to be more burdened by the administrative load than other specialists. This is especially concerning given Canada’s ongoing shortage of family physicians, where every minute lost to red tape means longer wait times and reduced access for the communities that rely on them, according to the report.
Margot Burnell
“This is the moment to act. Reducing the crushing administrative burden and modernizing health systems will free doctors to do what they do best — deliver care. Every step we take now means faster access to care for Canadians and stronger support for the communities that need it most,” said Dr. Margot Burnell, CMA president.
Most physicians (85%) said unnecessary work stems mainly from health-system processes, insurance companies (76%), government forms (59%), pharmacies (58%), and electronic record systems (51%). The most demanding tasks include insurance paperwork, referrals and test requisitions, and electronic documentation. The Disability Tax Credit, private insurance forms, and Canada Pension Plan Disability are among the most time-consuming forms, said the report.
The impact goes beyond lost time. Almost all (93%) of doctors say it disrupts work-life balance, 95% feel less fulfilled professionally, while 90% link it to burnout. More than half plan to cut their hours because of administrative burden, and 25% are even considering early retirement., it added.
Solutions for reducing red tape
The report said if the administrative burden on physicians was reduced:
- Most doctors (79%) would
reinvest the freed-up time to improve their work-life balance - 44% would spend more time with existing patients, and 43% would take on new ones
- A strong majority (72%) support eliminating some administrative tasks and better system integration, particularly through the interoperability of patient care records (71%)
- Other top recommendations include simplifying insurer processes, delegating duties to other health professionals, and providing protected, paid administrative time.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) is another potential solution to save time and free up resources, with 28% of physicians currently using at least one AI scribe tool and another 42% expressing interest.
Keyli Loeppky
“Reducing paperwork would ease stress and give doctors more time for quality patient care, professional growth and personal well-being. Even small cuts to the physician administrative burden can make a big difference for millions of Canadians,” said Keyli Loeppky, CFIB director of interprovincial affairs.
For more information, visit cfib.ca/redtape.
Mario Toneguzzi
Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada’s Entrepreneur. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 and 2024 as one of the top business journalists in the world by PR News. He was also named by RETHINK to its global list of Top Retail Experts 2024, 2025 and 2026.
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