Doctors saving on paperwork, study finds
Doctors saving on paperwork, study finds
While critics of the Canadian health-care system lament long wait times and big costs to government, a University of Toronto study shows one way our system works more efficiently than those south of the border.
Researchers found U.S. physician practices spend almost four times as much money and 10 times as many hours on paperwork than Canadian ones do.
"The Canadian system is by no means perfect," said Dr. Dante Morra, lead author of the study. "But there are points in time where we have to sit back and say our system does ... provide quality care and it does deliver it in an efficient fashion."
American practices spend $83,000 per doctor every year dealing with health insurers and other payers, whereas Ontario only doles out $22,000, according to the study published in the journal Health Affairs.
Researchers interviewed doctors from across the U.S. and Ontario about their daily practices. Morra said Ontario's costs are fairly representative of those Canada-wide.
What's more, nurses and medical assistants in the U.S. spend 20.6 hours per week on administrative duties associated with payers and health insurers whereas, in Ontario, that work amounts to just 2.5 hours.
In Canada, most health costs are covered by the provinces, meaning there's usually just one payer to deal with.
In the U.S., every patient pays differently, either individually or through health insurance, and each health-insurance company has its own policies for billings.
While critics of the Canadian health-care system lament long wait times and big costs to government, a University of Toronto study shows one way our system works more efficiently than those south of the border.
Researchers found U.S. physician practices spend almost four times as much money and 10 times as many hours on paperwork than Canadian ones do.
"The Canadian system is by no means perfect," said Dr. Dante Morra, lead author of the study. "But there are points in time where we have to sit back and say our system does ... provide quality care and it does deliver it in an efficient fashion."
American practices spend $83,000 per doctor every year dealing with health insurers and other payers, whereas Ontario only doles out $22,000, according to the study published in the journal Health Affairs.
Researchers interviewed doctors from across the U.S. and Ontario about their daily practices. Morra said Ontario's costs are fairly representative of those Canada-wide.
What's more, nurses and medical assistants in the U.S. spend 20.6 hours per week on administrative duties associated with payers and health insurers whereas, in Ontario, that work amounts to just 2.5 hours.
In Canada, most health costs are covered by the provinces, meaning there's usually just one payer to deal with.
In the U.S., every patient pays differently, either individually or through health insurance, and each health-insurance company has its own policies for billings.
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