Providers lose the most time during a typical clinic day in documentation tasks, chart preparation, navigating electronic health records (EHRs), handling prior authorizations, and managing claim denials. These administrative burdens consume hours that could otherwise be spent on direct patient care, slowing down throughput and increasing frustration for both clinicians and staff.
Documentation Overload
The single largest time drain is documentation. Providers spend significant portions of their day entering patient histories, treatment notes, and billing codes into EHRs. While necessary for compliance and reimbursement, this repetitive work often takes longer than the actual patient encounter. Without automation or AI support, documentation remains a bottleneck that reduces efficiency.
Chart Preparation and Review
Incomplete or inaccurate chart prep forces providers to spend extra time verifying patient demographics, insurance details, and prior test results during the visit. This slows down the clinical workflow and increases the risk of errors. Proper chart preparation before the encounter is critical to saving time and preventing downstream denials.
EHRs are essential but often cumbersome. Switching between multiple screens, searching for lab results, or reconciling medications can consume valuable minutes per patient. Over the course of a clinic day, these inefficiencies add up to hours lost. Providers frequently cite EHR navigation as one of the most frustrating aspects of their workflow.
Another major time sink is prior authorization. Providers must justify medical necessity, gather supporting documentation, and submit requests to payers. When chart prep is incomplete or payer rules are unclear, authorizations are delayed, forcing providers to spend additional time resolving issues instead of focusing on patient care.
Claim Denials and Follow-Up
Denials caused by eligibility mismatches, coding errors, or missing documentation often require providers to revisit charts and correct claims. This reactive work consumes time after the patient encounter and disrupts clinic flow. Preventing denials through accurate chart prep and coding validation is essential to reclaiming lost time.
Patient Communication
While not a “waste,” providers also spend considerable time explaining billing estimates, coverage details, and documentation outcomes to patients. Without accurate prep and streamlined workflows, these conversations become longer and more complex, further reducing efficiency.
Conclusion
Providers lose the most time during a clinic day in documentation, chart prep, EHR navigation, prior authorizations, and denial management. These tasks, though necessary, divert attention from patient care and slow down throughput. By leveraging AI‑driven tools to automate documentation, validate coding, and streamline chart prep, healthcare organizations can reduce administrative burdens, improve efficiency, and allow providers to focus more on delivering quality care.
