New Brunswick doctor says medical paperwork has increased 90 per cent

A New Brunswick doctor says the amount of paperwork she has every week is overwhelming.

For 42 years, Dr. Mary Ann Bramstrup has treated families in the rural community of Nackawic-Millville, N.B.

In those four decades, she’s seen family medicine change in several ways: reorganized practices, electronic medical records and aging demographics.

One of the more drastic changes is the increased paperwork, up about 90 per cent from when she started, she estimates.

“I see patients Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Bramstrup said. “On Wednesday morning, I book appointments. Wednesday afternoons and Fridays, I see emergencies but I also do paperwork. I do paperwork all weekend. I can’t catch up. It’s overwhelming.”

The issue isn’t new. The Canadian Medical Association and Canadian Federation of Independent Business released a survey of almost 2,000 physicians earlier this year. It showed the average family doctor spends about one workday a week, or nine hours, on paperwork. Approximately 90 per cent said the administrative burden leads to burnout and one in four said they are thinking about early retirement or leaving the profession.

Last week, the College of Family Physicians of Canada called for a reduction in administrative work for physicians, especially early-career doctors who are establishing their practices.

New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt said the collaborative care practice model will help with the problem and provide funds to support the adoption of medical records with AI script tools.

“It provides the staff the administrative support for the folks that can help doctors like her move those paper records into electronic records and get used to using that system,” said Holt. “She can reap the benefits of the time savings that will take her away from paperwork and give more time for patients.”

So far, the province has announced it will expand or open 13 collaborative care clinics across the province.

Nova Scotia has been making moves to reduce administrative tasks for physicians. The province released the “Patients before Paperwork” initiative in 2024 to reduce the administrative burden on doctors by up to 400,000 hours.

In an update last year, the province said the new Medical Certificates for Employee Absence Act limits how often employers can ask for a sick note from a physician. This saves doctors an estimated 67,000 hours in unnecessary visits every year.

The province said allowing pharmacists to provide more primary care at 46 pharmacy locations saves an additional 86,000 hours.

Holt collaborative care teams and the move to electronic medical records to reduce administrative burnout is built into the province’s contract with physicians that comes into effect April 1.

At 70, Dr. Bramstrup isn’t ready to retire but she said she hopes the collaborative care model will help her to gradually hand-off her practice when she is ready.

“I’m a perfectionist and I want to make sure that my patients get the same kind of care that I would give them,” she said.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.