Exploring the relationship of administrative burden with doctors’ motivation and patients’ experience of care: Evidence from primary healthcare in Catalonia

Administrative burden (AB) focuses on citizens’ subjective experiences upon facing administrative tasks as potential public policy beneficiaries. This paper examines the AB experienced by professionals in public healthcare, in this case, by general practitioners (GPs). After distinguishing between red tape and AB, we test whether the onerous experience of following guidelines and procedures is associated with their intrinsic motivation (IM) and, indirectly, with patient experience (PE). We base our analysis on surveys of GPs and PE and satisfaction in Catalonia. Using structural equation modelling, the study confirms a negative association between AB and doctors’ IM and a significant but smaller direct and mediated relationship between AB and PE. Efforts to increase professionals’ performance through standardization may increase service quality. This study shows the importance of considering the negative AB relationship between medical professionals and their patients. Points for practitioners This study underscores that although health authorities aim to improve performance through standardization, this often increases the AB on employees with strong professional identities, demotivating them and worsening patient care experiences. Practitioners and managers should consider not only the primary objectives of rules and procedures but also how they shape individual experiences, given their impact on overall organizational performance.