Business Voice

Unnecessary physician burden reduced by 400k hours 

Topics: Trends

Published: February 2, 2025

Contributors: Barb Johnson (Senior Communications Advisor, Doctors Nova Scotia)

What can business learn from this red tape reduction? 

Doctors Nova Scotia has long identified physician burden, or red tape, as a component of burnout. Most doctors spend hours a day completing paperwork and doing work that could be done by another licensed and trained healthcare professional. While much of the administrative work is necessary, some of it is unnecessary or can be duplicative or overly complicated. 

Red tape impacts doctors because productivity slows, job satisfaction decreases and they end up spending time on unnecessary work in addition to that which is vital to patient care. Often, this work happens outside of clinic hours evenings and weekends. 

Premier Houston set an ambitious goal of reducing physician red tape by 400,000 hours in 2024. That target has been exceeded, with more savings achieved in early 2025. 

With many partners across the government and outside of it, the province’s Office of Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness (ORASE) has been leading the work to uncover red tape for doctors, measure its impact and address it. The aim is to make it easier and faster for doctors to work in our province, so they have a better work/life balance and, more importantly, Nova Scotians receive the care they deserve, when they need it. 

Improving common forms 

Some of the most frequently completed forms identified by doctors have been revised to make them faster and easier to complete. The forms are now included in electronic medical records (EMRs), a system that is also being reformed to improve how physicians access and submit the forms. 

Working with the insurance industry 

Nova Scotia led the country in improving disability insurance forms, which are completed more than 5,000 times a year by doctors. These forms have been standardized, reducing the number of forms from 56 to just two, and are being used across the country.  

A public campaign is also underway to remind Nova Scotians that more and more private insurance plans no longer require a doctor’s referral for things like massage, chiropractic services and physiotherapy. Employers can help with this by reviewing what documentation their insurance plan requires to support efforts to make the most effective use of doctors’ time. 

Exploring AI scribe technology 

In collaboration with Doctors Nova Scotia, the Department of Health and Wellness and Nova Scotia Health, the government is piloting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, with the intention to expand across the province. An AI scribe can digitally transcribe conversations with consenting patients into electronic and medical notes. In other jurisdictions where this technology is used, it has been shown to save family doctors up to two hours every day.  

What can business learn from this work? 

Every sector has its own red tape and administrative burden, both necessary and unnecessary. Just as physicians are affected, so are businesses—your vendors, employees and clients—because unnecessary red tape can impact productivity and job satisfaction and take time away from running and growing your business. 

Businesses can take stock of their work by assessing the high-volume administrative work expected by clients, vendors and partners. Seek feedback, identify redundant forms, create more efficient processes and with new initiatives have a goal of reducing red tape. If it’s on your radar, you’re more likely to make red tape reduction a priority. 

Read more about the work underway for doctors at:

novascotia.ca/regulatoryopportunity

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