Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026): new

View Issue TOC

A Bayesian Hierarchical Modelling Approach to Evaluating District Hospital System Performance and Yield Improvement in Uganda, 2000–2026

Julius Ssentongo, Department of Surgery, Uganda Christian University, Mukono Patience Nalwadda, Medical Research Council (MRC)/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit Moses Kato, Medical Research Council (MRC)/UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18947758
Published: February 19, 2026

Abstract

District hospital systems in sub-Saharan Africa face persistent challenges in performance measurement and yield improvement, with conventional evaluation methods often failing to account for spatial heterogeneity and data uncertainty. This study aimed to develop and apply a novel Bayesian hierarchical model to evaluate the performance of district hospital systems and to project yield improvements, providing a robust framework for resource allocation and policy planning. We developed a spatio-temporal Bayesian hierarchical model integrating administrative data on hospital inputs, outputs, and contextual covariates. The core model structure is $y_{it} \sim \text{Normal}(\alpha_i + \beta X_{it}, \sigma^2)$, where $\alpha_i \sim \text{Normal}(\mu_{\alpha}, \tau^2)$ represents random intercepts for each district $i$. Posterior distributions were estimated using Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling, with projections derived from posterior predictive checks. The model identified significant spatial clustering in performance, with posterior probabilities exceeding 0.95 for improved yield in central and western regions. Projections indicate a median potential yield improvement of 18.7% (95% credible interval: 14.2, 23.1) under optimised resource scenarios by the target year. The Bayesian hierarchical modelling approach provides a statistically robust and operationally relevant tool for assessing and forecasting district hospital system performance, capturing inherent uncertainties and spatial dependencies. Health planners should adopt similar probabilistic modelling frameworks for strategic investment and prioritisation. Future research should integrate this model with real-time data systems for dynamic performance monitoring. Bayesian hierarchical model, health systems performance, yield improvement, spatio-temporal analysis, resource allocation, sub-Saharan Africa This paper introduces a novel application of Bayesian hierarchical modelling for projecting health system yield, providing a method that formally quantifies uncertainty in performance estimates and future scenarios for district-level hospitals.

Full Text:

Read the Full Article

The HTML galley is loaded below for inline reading and better discovery.

How to Cite

Julius Ssentongo, Patience Nalwadda, Moses Kato (2026). A Bayesian Hierarchical Modelling Approach to Evaluating District Hospital System Performance and Yield Improvement in Uganda, 2000–2026. African Food Systems Research (Interdisciplinary - incl Agri/Env), Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026): new. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18947758

Keywords

Bayesian hierarchical modellinghealth systems evaluationsub-Saharan Africadistrict hospitalsperformance measurementyield improvementUganda

Research Snapshot

Desktop reading view
Language
EN
Formats
HTML + PDF
Publication Track
Vol. 1 No. 1 (2026): new
Current Journal
African Food Systems Research (Interdisciplinary - incl Agri/Env)

References