What the Research Shows

In many clinical settings, especially primary care and outpatient practice, physicians report spending close to two hours on documentation for every one hour of direct patient care. This is not an exaggeration—it is one of the most consistent findings across time-motion studies, EHR audits, and physician surveys.

Documentation vs. Patient Care Ratios

Multiple studies confirm this imbalance:

• Research in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that physicians spend twice as much time on EHR and desk work compared to face-to-face patient care.

• For every hour spent with patients, up to two additional hours may be spent on documentation and clerical work, a pattern confirmed by observational studies and survey data.

• Many office-based physicians extend this work into their personal time, averaging nearly 1.8 hours per day on after-hours documentation.

Differences by Specialty and Setting

Not all doctors experience the burden equally:

• Primary care and outpatient specialists consistently report the highest documentation loads, often spending more time in the EHR than with patients.

• Across professions—physicians, nurses, allied health—documentation can consume a third or more of total working hours.

This imbalance is particularly acute in systems with complex or fragmented EHR platforms.

Impact on Physician Wellbeing

The implications are serious. Excessive documentation has been directly linked with:

• Higher burnout rates,

• Reduced clinical efficiency, and

• Less time available for direct patient care.

Doctors routinely describe “pajama time”—late-night hours spent completing charts after family time—as one of the most draining aspects of their work.

Why This Matters for the Future of Care

When the majority of clinical time is diverted into documentation, the cost is not only physician wellbeing but also continuity of care, patient satisfaction, and system-level efficiency.

Clara was designed in direct response to this reality. Clara listens quietly during consultations or dictations, creating structured, traceable notes that physicians can validate in real time. Every sentence is linked back to the original conversation, ensuring safety and transparency.

Clara does not replace the clinical judgment of the physician—it supports it. By reducing the time and cognitive load of documentation, it helps restore balance: more time with patients, less time with screens.

If you are interested in exploring Clara, we are running a private pilot program with select physicians and clinics. Request an invitation here: https://www.clara.care/blog/pilot-program