Physicians spend an average of 45 hours per week on scheduled shifts and an additional 15 hours per week on administrative tasks outside of scheduled hours, according to a 2025 survey from CHG Healthcare and Hanover Research.
CHG Healthcare and Hanover Research surveyed 920 practicing physicians in May 2025 to identify the drivers of physician disengagement and strategies to strengthen engagement and retention.
Here’s how physicians say their time is distributed during scheduled shifts:
- Direct clinical and patient care: 59%
- Paperwork and documentation: 23%
- Administrative work: 10%
- Patient communication: 8%
Here’s how physicians distribute administrative tasks outside of scheduled shifts:
- Paperwork and documentation: 46%
- Administrative work: 27%
- Patient communication: 27%
How physicians view free time compared with a year ago:
- A lot more free time: 5%
- Slightly more free time: 13%
- About the same amount of free time: 43%
- Slightly less free time: 26%
- A lot less free time: 13%
How physicians view time with patients compared to a year ago:
- Much more time with patients: 3%
- Slightly more time with patients: 8%
- About the same time with patients: 60%
- Slightly less time with patients: 21%
- Much less time with patients: 8%
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