Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36388318›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in public health2022

Health economic burden of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia.

Khalidah A Alenzi, Hamdan S Al-Malky, Ali F Altebainawi, Hamidah Q Abushomi, Fahad O Alatawi, Moosa H Atwadi, Moosa A Khobrani, Dlal A Almazrou, Nariman Alrubeh, Zainab A Alsoliabi and 5 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Non-O1, Non-O139Tropical medicine and infectious disease · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

15 authors.

Khalidah A AlenziRegional Drug Information and Pharmacovigilance Center, Ministry of Health, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Hamdan S Al-MalkyCollege of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia.
Ali F AltebainawiPharmaceutical Care Services, King Salman Specialist Hospital, Hail Health Cluster, Ministry of Health, Hail, Saudi Arabia.
Hamidah Q AbushomiDammam Medical Complex, Eastern Region Cluster, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Fahad O AlatawiKing Fahad Specialist Hospital, Ministry of Health, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Moosa H AtwadiAlthager General Hospital, Ministry of Health, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Moosa A KhobraniPrince Mohammed bin Nasser Hospital, Ministry of Health, Jizan, Saudi Arabia.
Dlal A AlmazrouKing Saud Medical City, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Nariman AlrubehQatif Central Hospital, Ministry of Health, Eastern Region, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Zainab A AlsoliabiQatif Central Hospital, Ministry of Health, Eastern Region, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulaziz M KardamKing Faisal Medical City, Ministry of Health, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Shakr A AlghamdiKhamis Mushait General Hospital, Ministry of Health, Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulrahman AlasiriMohayl General Hospital, Ministry of Health, Asir, Saudi Arabia.
Maher H AlbalwiPrince Abdul-Mohsin Hospital, Alula, Saudi Arabia.
Thamir M AlshammariCollege of Pharmacy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has added a massive economic burden on health care systems worldwide. Saudi Arabia is one of the numerous countries that have been economically affected by this pandemic. The objective of this study was to provide real-world data on the health economic burden of COVID-19 on the Saudi health sector and assess the direct medical costs associated with the management of COVID-19. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted based on data collected from patients hospitalized with COVID-19 across 10 institutions in eight different regions in Saudi Arabia. The study calculated the direct medical costs of all cases during the study period by using SAS statistical analysis software. These costs included costs directly related to medical services, such as the health care treatment, hospital stays, laboratory investigations, treatment, outcome, and other related care. Results: A total of 5,286 adult patients admitted with COVID-19 during the study period were included in the study. The average age of the patients was 54 years, and the majority were male (79%). Among the COVID-19 patients hospitalized in a general ward, the median hospital length of stay was 5.5 days (mean: 9.18 days), while the ICU stay was 4.2 days (mean: 7.94 days). The total medical costs for general ward and ICU patients were US$ 38,895 and US$ 24,207,296.9, respectively. The total laboratory investigations ranked as the highest-cost services US$ 588,975 followed by treatment US$ 3,886,509.8. Overall, the total cost of all medical services for patients hospitalized with COVID-19 was US$ 51,572,393.4. Conclusion: This national study found that COVID-19 was not only a serious concern for patients but also a serious economic burden on the health care system in Saudi Arabia.

Indexed as

COVID-19Financial StressAdultFemaleHospitalizationHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesSaudi Arabiaburden of COVID-19direct costpandemicSaudi Arabiatotal cost

Identifiers

PMID36388318
PMCPMC9642043

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.