OBJECTIVES: The increasing incidence and prevalence of diabetes is a significant economic burden to individuals, families and healthcare system, especially in developing countries including Vietnam. This study aimed to evaluate the direct costs for diabetic inpatients and factors associated with these costs in Hue city, Vietnam.

METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with data from medical records of 287 inpatients who were diagnosed with diabetes and discharged from Hue University Hospital in 2016.

RESULTS: Mean total direct cost per patient was 355.24 ± 329.41 USD. The mean direct cost for a patient with complications was 382.17 ± 339.92 USD, 2.5 times higher than that of patients without complications (150.29 ± 107.47 USD) (p<0,001). The mean hospital length of stay was 15.56 ± 9.29 days. Patients with complications accounted for 89.19% and had 16.63 ± 9.24 days of hospital length of stay, longer than those without (6.96 ± 3.08 days) (p<0,001). Multiple linear regression analysis on independent variables including ages, types, complications demonstrated that inpatients with complications had longer hospital length of stay and higher direct cost than those without complications (p<0,001). Medicines were the greatest expense (31.91% of total direct cost). Of them, antibiotics were the most frequently used (44.83%), followed by antidiabetic drugs (30.63%).

CONCLUSIONS: The direct costs and the hospital length of stay of diabetic inpatients with complications were a big economic burden to themselves and society. Effective prevention and management strategies for diabetes are important and the national health policy should be improved.