“Admin time” refers to time spent on administrative tasks, which are often related to patient care but occur outside the direct patient interaction. These tasks include charting, answering messages, reviewing test results, coordinating care, handling prior authorizations, completing paperwork, etc.
Traditionally, physicians’ schedules have allotted time for direct patient care but have not provided dedicated admin time. As a result, physicians spend significant time on “work after work” — an average of 22 minutes on scheduled days and 2.8 hours on unscheduled days.1
A 2024 qualitative study2 examined physicians’ time constraints and found that “the structure of their work hours did not match the work that was expected of them” and this structural mismatch created “a constant experience of time scarcity.” Physicians in the study described “having to make tradeoffs between maintaining high-quality patient care and having their work overflow into their personal lives.” Researchers suggested that organizational leaders should 1) “increase slack in outpatient clinical scheduling by introducing more flexible time,” such as admin time, and 2) “set care expectations that are realistic and match the time structures they create for their physicians.”2
While the amount of scheduled admin time varies across organizations, more practices seem to be offering it. If you search family medicine job listings, you can find many positions offering 40-hour work weeks described as “36 clinical hours and 4 hours of administrative time,” or similar offerings. Some practices also give physicians the flexibility to perform these tasks during remote work hours.
Ericka L. Adler, JD, advises physicians to make sure their employment contract specifies both the number of patient-facing hours required per week and the number of hours carved out for administrative work. “A 40-hour ‘clinical care’ requirement that excludes administrative time should not be accepted,” she writes in FPM (see “Ensuring Your Employment Contract Works for You”).
Probably not. According to a 2020 study,3 physicians spend 66.5% of their work-related time on direct patient care and 33.4% of their work-related time on non-patient-facing EHR, administrative, and other tasks. Assuming a five-day work week, that equates to 3.3 days of direct patient care and 1.67 days of admin time.
Source: Toscano F, O’Donnell E, Broderick JE, et al. How physicians spend their work time: an ecological momentary assessment. J Gen Intern Med. 2020;35(11):3166-3172.
Built-in admin time doesn’t have to take the form of a full day or half day. In a recent FPM article, Stacey et al recommended that physicians reserve about 25% of every patient visit (e.g., five minutes of a 20-minute visit) for admin work such as inbox management. They argued that efficiencies such as agenda setting, team delegation, and more efficient charting can help enable this, along with improved workflows and technology such as AI scribes. (See also “10 ways to reduce your administrative and documentation burden.”)
How much dedicated admin time does your practice give to physicians, and is it enough? Share your comments below.
Posted on March 21, 2025, by FPM Editors.
Sign up to receive FPM's free, weekly e-newsletter, "Quick Tips & Insights," featuring practical, peer-reviewed advice for improving practice, enhancing the patient experience, and developing a rewarding career.
Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the opinions and views of the American Academy of Family Physicians. This blog is not intended to provide medical, financial, or legal advice. All comments are moderated and will be removed if they violate our Terms of Use.