A 2016 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that during a typical day, primary care physicians spend 27 percent of their time on clinical activities and 49 percent on administrative activities. The authors of this study concluded that for every hour primary care physicians spend in direct patient care, they spend two hours engaged in administrative functions.
This is a startling finding. It demonstrates the imbalance between patient care and administrative functions that has been established in recent years. It also demonstrates that health policy is asking physicians to focus too much time and resources on things that do not contribute to direct patient care and, in fact, detract from patient care. Administrative burden is one of the leading causes of physician burnout.
The American Academy of Family Ohydicians (AAFP) recently joined with the Smerican Medical Association (AMA) and more than a dozen other medical groups to create a set of 21 principles related to prior authorizations. The document highlights the fact that prior authorization processes could be improved simply by applying common-sense concepts to issues that affect clinical validity; continuity of care; transparency and fairness; timely access and administrative efficiency; and alternatives and exemptions.
A related AMA survey found that the average physician practice completes 37 prior authorization requirements per physician each week. This means a small group practice of three family physicians would likely complete more than 100 prior authorization requests per week. Compliance with regulations and administrative requirements are not only time consuming as noted above, they are expensive as well.