Ontario Helping Family Doctors Put Patients before Paperwork

Initiatives will save doctors 95,000 hours that can now be spent caring for people

TORONTO — The Ontario government is taking significant strides to alleviate the administrative burdens weighing down family doctors and primary care providers, enabling them to dedicate more time to patient care and less to paperwork.

Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones, emphasized the government’s commitment to reducing administrative tasks for family doctors, allowing them to focus on what truly matters – their patients.

One notable initiative involves encouraging employers to employ alternative tools, such as attestations, in lieu of sick notes, thereby expediting the sick leave process for employees while maintaining accountability. This change is poised to grant primary care providers more time for direct patient care.

Moreover, the province is embracing innovative solutions, expanding the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically transcribe or summarize patient consultations into electronic medical notes. This enhancement aims to enhance patient experience and ensure more accurate record-keeping.

In conjunction with these efforts, the government has unveiled a comprehensive strategy to reduce paperwork across various facets of healthcare provision. These measures will collectively free up an estimated 95,000 hours annually for physicians to reinvest in patient care.

Key elements of the strategy include:

• Modernization of Communication: Phasing out fax machines in favor of more efficient digital communication methods to expedite diagnosis, referrals, and treatments while enhancing patient privacy.
• Digitization of Forms: Expanding eServices to digitize referral and consultation forms, facilitating seamless electronic sharing for timely access to specialist advice, thereby potentially eliminating the need for in-person visits.
• Streamlining Administrative Processes: Enhancing the eForms platform with digital tools to simplify form completion and sharing, reducing administrative burdens for healthcare providers.
• Simplification of Government Forms: Collaborating with the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) to simplify and digitize key government medical forms, minimizing duplication and integrating them into electronic medical records.
• Centralized Waitlist Program: Accelerating the expansion of a centralized waitlist program for surgical and diagnostic services, ensuring streamlined referrals and expedited access to care for patients.

Through these measures, the Ontario government aims to align administrative practices with the principles of patient-centered care, promoting accessibility, efficiency, and convenience.

Dr. David Daien of OntarioMD commended the innovative evaluation of AI scribe technology, highlighting its potential to enhance healthcare delivery while safeguarding patient privacy.

Dr. Mekalai Kumanan, President of the Ontario College of Family Physicians, welcomed the government’s commitment to reducing administrative burdens, citing the elimination of sick notes as a pivotal step towards improving patient access to family doctors.

Mohamed Alarakhia, a Family Physician and CEO of the eHealth Centre of Excellence, underscored the transformative impact of AI scribes, enabling healthcare providers to prioritize patient interaction and care delivery.

Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development, David Piccini, emphasized the government’s dedication to putting patients first by prohibiting the requirement of sick notes for job-protected sick leave, thereby alleviating administrative burdens for both workers and healthcare professionals.

As Ontario continues to harness the potential of AI and digital innovation, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery, Todd McCarthy, highlighted the importance of responsible AI deployment to enhance service delivery while safeguarding privacy and security.

Dr. Andrew Park of the Ontario Medical Association echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the importance of ongoing collaboration between the government and healthcare stakeholders to build a robust healthcare system that meets the needs of Ontarians.

In conclusion, the Ontario government’s proactive measures signal a significant step towards streamlining administrative processes in healthcare, empowering family doctors to allocate more time and resources towards patient care, ultimately fostering a healthier and more accessible healthcare system for all Ontarians.