BACKGROUND: Diagnosis-related group (DRG) payment has become the main form of medical expense settlements, and its application is becoming increasingly extensive. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the correlation between DRG weights and nursing time and to develop a predictive model for nursing time in the cardiology department based on DRG weights and other factors. METHODS: A convenience sampling method was used to select patients who were hospitalized in the cardiology ward of Beijing Chest Hospital between April 2023 and April 2024. Nursing time was measured by direct and indirect nursing time. To determine the distributions of nursing time based on different demographics, a Pearson correlation was used to analyze the relationship between DRG weight and nursing time, and a multiple linear regression was used to determine the influencing factors of total nursing time. RESULTS: A total of 103 subjects were included in this study. The DRG weights were positively correlated with direct nursing time (r=0.480
P<
.001), indirect nursing time (r=0.394
P<
.001), and total nursing time (r=0.448
P<
.001). Moreover, age was positively correlated with the 3 nursing times (direct: r=0.235
indirect: r=0.192
total: r=0.235
all P<
.001). The activities of daily living (ADL) score on admission was negatively correlated with the 3 nursing times (direct: r=-0.316
indirect: r=-0.252
total: r=-0.301
all P<
.001). In addition, the nursing level on the first day of admission was positively correlated with the 3 nursing times (direct: r=0.333
indirect: r=0.332
total: r=0.352
all P<
.001). Furthermore, the multivariate analysis found that the nursing level on the first day of admission, complications or comorbidities, DRG weight, and ADL score on admission were the influencing factors of nursing time (R2=0.328
F5,97=69.58
P<
.001). CONCLUSIONS: DRG weight showed a strong correlation with nursing time and could be used to predict nursing time, which may assist in nursing resource allocation in cardiology departments.