Alshammari Abdullah Mohammad, Elnaem Mohamed Hassan, Ong Siew Chin
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia.
Hail Health Cluster, Hail, Saudi Arabia.
Clinicoecon Outcomes Res. 2025 Jul 15;17:473-484. doi: 10.2147/CEOR.S521701. eCollection 2025.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic non-communicable disease (NCD) that imposes a significant economic burden on healthcare systems and households. This study aimed to estimate the direct medical costs associated with diabetes care from a hospital perspective in Hail, Saudi Arabia.
A retrospective, hospital-based study was conducted using data from hospital records of diabetic patients treated at King Khalid Hospital (KKH) and King Salman Specialized Hospital (KSSH) in Hail. The study employed a top-down approach to estimate direct medical costs, including consultation, lab tests, medications, admissions, and annual check-ups. Costs were adjusted to US dollars (1 USD = 3.75 SAR). Ethical approval was obtained from the Hail Health Cluster (IRB Log Number: 2023-44).
A total of 377 diabetic patients were included in the study. The mean age was 58.02 years (SD = 18.80), with 53.3% male and 46.7% female patients. The average total annual cost per patient was US$6689.1 (±3450.1), with admission costs being the highest contributor (US$2686.0 ± 3373.0). The total estimated cost for all patients combined was approximately US$2.52 million. Older age, female gender, DM complications, and treatment at KSSH were significantly associated with higher direct costs.
The economic burden of diabetes is substantial and continues to rise annually. Policymakers should prioritize cost-effective interventions and improve data collection across hospitals to better understand and mitigate the financial impact of diabetes.
糖尿病（DM）是一种慢性非传染性疾病（NCD），给医疗保健系统和家庭带来了巨大的经济负担。本研究旨在从沙特阿拉伯哈伊勒一家医院的角度估算与糖尿病护理相关的直接医疗费用。
采用回顾性、基于医院的研究，使用哈伊勒的哈立德国王医院（KKH）和萨勒曼国王专科医院（KSSH）治疗的糖尿病患者的医院记录数据。该研究采用自上而下的方法估算直接医疗费用，包括会诊、实验室检查、药物治疗、住院和年度体检。费用换算为美元（1美元 = 3.75沙特里亚尔）。获得了哈伊勒健康集群的伦理批准（IRB日志编号：2023 - 44）。
该研究共纳入377名糖尿病患者。平均年龄为58.02岁（标准差 = 18.80），男性患者占53.3%，女性患者占46.7%。每位患者的年平均总费用为6689.1美元（±3450.1美元），其中住院费用占比最高（2686.0美元±3373.0美元）。所有患者的总估计费用约为252万美元。年龄较大、女性、糖尿病并发症以及在KSSH接受治疗与较高的直接费用显著相关。
糖尿病的经济负担巨大且每年持续上升。政策制定者应优先考虑具有成本效益的干预措施，并改善各医院的数据收集，以更好地理解和减轻糖尿病的经济影响。
