Here’s what 20 million hours of unnecessary paperwork is doing to doctors, and their patients
More than half of doctors in Canada plan to cut their hours. One in four are considering leaving the profession or early retirement. And one third would discourage medical students from going into their specialty.
Why? Avoidable administrative burden, according to the first joint survey of the country’s physicians by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
Cutting red tape could free up the equivalent of 9,000 doctors (CTV News)
Canadian doctors lose millions of hours to administrative tasks (Global News)
“Every hour that can be saved by decreasing the administrative burden is critically important,” says CMA President Dr. Margot Burnell. (The Toronto Star, by subscription)
Doctors look to AI to cut burdensome administration work. However, “physicians do not have the capability to test each one of those [technologies] because the number on the market is just increasing exponentially,” says Dr. Burnell. (The Globe and Mail, by subscription)
Volunteer program for immigrant doctors to improve medical English gets big boost
As Canada continues to struggle with an undersupply of physicians, more initiatives to integrate internationally trained physicians into the health labour force are needed. The Health English Language Pro (HELP) program pairs retired physicians with newcomer doctors to improve their medical English and give them an inside view of Canadian medical culture. The CMA Foundation’s new $645,000 grant will help expand the program. (The Globe and Mail, by subscription)
CMA releases proposed update to code of ethics, focusing on Indigenous reconciliation, combatting racism
The CMA has released a draft of updates to its Code of Ethics and Professionalism, with a focus on striving for reconciliation with Indigenous communities and combatting racism in health care. “This is about making sure every patient who we care for experiences excellent care, because good medicine must leave no one behind,” says Dr. Burnell. Feedback is open on these proposed changes until Feb. 27, 2026 . (The Medical Post)
Everyone wants doctors to move freely between provinces. Here's why it doesn't much happen
Many physicians say pan-Canadian licensure would allow them to practice in whatever province or territory they are needed without facing administrative hurdles. The CMA says the establishment of the national registry is regarded as a step toward pan-Canadian licensing. (The Toronto Star, by subscription)
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