Canadian doctors spend 18.5 million hours on unnecessary paperwork, says new report

The report highlights Nova Scotia as a ‘standout’ province in trying to reduce red tape in medicine

CITYnews halifax \ Canadian Press

Listen to this article

HALIFAX — A new report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business says Canadian doctors spend 18.5 million hours per year on unnecessary administrative work. 

Laura Jones, an executive vice-president with the federation and co-author of the report released today, says these hours are the equivalent of about 55.6 million doctor visits.

Jones says the report, titled “Patients before Paperwork,” highlights an often overlooked burden doctors face while caring for patients.

The report also highlights Nova Scotia as a “standout” province in trying to reduce red tape in medicine.

Dr. Leisha Hawker, president of Doctors Nova Scotia, says her group has been working with the provincial government since 2019 to identify paperwork redundancies and shorten medical forms.

Hawker says reducing paperwork can improve patient care and reduce physician burnout.

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.

The Canadian Press