Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) place significant financial burdens on individuals, communities, and countries. However, very little information is available regarding the extent of diabetes expenses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). As far as we are aware, no comprehensive systematic literature review on diabetes cost in KSA has been published yet. Objective: The purpose of the analysis is to gather information about the direct and indirect costs of diabetes mellitus in KSA from the literature, examine the techniques employed to estimate costs, and discover potential avenues for further investigation. Methods: A systematic literature search will be performed to identify studies that reported the cost of diabetes mellitus in KSA. A rigorous literature search will be conducted using the following academic electronic databases: Scopus, Medline (via PubMed), Cochrane, Springer, Science Direct, and Web of Science. The eligibility criteria employed for the study will encompass the following aspects: examination of peer-reviewed articles in English which were published within the timeframe of 2010 to 2023, articles presenting novel research outcomes regarding the cost of diabetes mellitus, and studies conducted in KSA. To gather the necessary information, data will be extracted in sheets, and the results will be systematically arranged within tables. Results: We have reviewed the cost of diabetes mellitus. Extracted articles will be analyzed in the results based on the direct and indirect costs per patient of diabetes mellitus. The papers will be analyzed on the bases of study design, data source, perspective, and the healthcare cost categories. Conclusion: Different approaches will be employed to calculate healthcare costs associated with diabetes mellitus
Kanan et al. (Mon,) studied this question.