AI can reduce doctors’ paperwork as health worker shortage looms

Artificial intelligence could help ease pressure on doctors by handling repetitive paperwork and administrative tasks, as healthcare systems worldwide face a growing shortage of workers, a report by QuickBlox says. The World Health Organization has warned of a potential shortage of 10 million health workers by 2030, especially in regions with strained systems. The report highlights documentation and coding as areas where AI can assist, reducing clinicians' workload and burnout.

QuickBlox CEO Nate MacLeitch said inefficiency in healthcare collides with the workforce gap, and reforms will fall short without telemedicine platforms that ease the admin load. The report cites Kaiser Permanente's rollout of AI scribes across 600 offices and 40 hospitals, which improved accuracy and allowed physicians more time with patients. The Hindu adds that in the U.K., the NHS issued guidance in April 2025 for AI-enabled ambient scribing, with early evidence suggesting it could give doctors up to a quarter more time with patients.

In India, The Hindu reports that by May 2026, over 100 crore health records were linked to Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts, and the Scan and Share service reduced outpatient registration waits from an hour to two to five minutes. A January 2026 McKinsey analysis estimated AI could reduce the cost to collect in healthcare revenue-cycle operations by 30% to 60%. Both sources agree AI's role is not about replacing doctors but making existing capacity work more efficiently.