To clarify the overall development of Diagnosis Related Groups（DRG）research since the new healthcare reform，this paper used the CiteSpace software to visualize and analyze the knowledge mapping of 582 papers about DRG payment research included in CSSCI，CSCD，and Peking University core journals in the database of China Knowledge（CNKI）from April 2009 to October 2023. The study aims to explore the research status，hotspots，and trends of China’s DRG payment research from a quantitative perspective. The results indicated that research authors and institutions have begun to take shape，but there is a lack of collaborative communication among the inter-regional author groups. The hot topics are mainly centered on four aspects: grouping mechanism and tool development application，cost control effect，performance management and evaluation，and continuous improvement of healthcare quality. The stage of development is divided into three periods: initial exploration，expansion，and leaping up. This study suggested further exploration in broadening the application of DRG in non-comprehensive hospitals，innovating targeted responses to DRG implementation， and promoting cross-regional and interdisciplinary research.