Administrative Burden in Medicine: The Real Numbers
The real numbers on administrative burden in medicine — how many hours clinicians spend on non-clinical work, and what actually reduces it.
Multiple time-motion studies show US ambulatory clinicians spending roughly two hours on the EHR for every hour of direct patient care, with substantial 'pyjama time' after hours. Documentation dominates that time.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this a US-only problem?
- No — the exact ratio varies, but every developed healthcare system reports similar patterns.
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