Reducing Administrative Burden for BC Physicians
A joint effort by Doctors of BC, the Ministry of Health and Health Quality BC funded through the Physician Master Agreement.
Administrative burden describes duplicative or overly complex documentation or tasks which includes forms, out-of-date processes, and/or processes that impact a patient’s timely access to quality of care. It includes documentation, forms, processes or tasks that require completion by providers or clinical teams, and areas where the cumulative administrative load negatively impacts time.
The Impact of Administrative Burden
Administrative burden is not the result of one process or form. It is the cumulative impact of the many services, processes, tasks or forms clinicians interact with every day.
The cumulative impacts include productivity, work-life balance, burnout, ability to provide timely access to care and job satisfaction.
It is validating to know that someone is doing this work, and I am not alone in these experiences.”
Administrative burden is being felt by everyone, physicians, nurses, pharmacists…We start our day feeling overwhelmed as we try to catch up on the paperwork that has built up from the day before.
Within health care, there are few, if any, resources more precious and closely managed than time.
A Shared Commitment to Change
In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Doctors of BC and Health Authorities the Health Quality BC project team is leading engagement, analysis and the development of recommendations, as defined by the Memorandum of Agreement, in three key areas:
Special Authority
Forms that grant full or partial coverage to a drug or device that otherwise would not be covered or only partially covered and is provided in specific medical circumstances.
Medical Imaging
Health Authorities may take on the responsibility of contacting patients regarding their appointments where physicians’ offices currently manage these processes.
BC Cancer
Identifying specific forms and processes for review.
Beyond these focus areas, we have established a prioritization framework that helps to identify additional administrative burdens, where recommendations can support sustainable, system-wide improvements.
Collaborating for Meaningful Solutions
Addressing administrative burden requires a system-wide approach that prioritizes engagement, innovation, and collaboration, leading to effective, sustainable process and policy changes.
To ensure that realistic solutions are identified, HQBC is:
Together, we can work to reduce and eliminate existing administrative burdens and prevent the introduction of new burdens into the system.
Download the Pilot Year Summary to share with your network.
Latest Administrative Burdens Working Group News
Explore the most recent updates about the work of the administrative burdens working group.
April 2, 2025
Special Authority Update: Three-Year Renewal Option for Plaque Psoriasis Biologics
BC PharmaCare Newsletter
Administrative Burdens Working Group Partners
Have a physician administrative burden to share?
Contact our team at adminburden@healthqualitybc.ca to share your experiences.
