Methodological Evaluation of Urban Primary Care Networks in South Africa: A Panel Data Estimation Study on Clinical Outcomes,

Urban primary care networks (PCNs) are critical for healthcare delivery in South Africa, but their effectiveness is under scrutiny. Panel data analysis was employed to estimate the impact of PCNs on patient health outcomes over time. A significant positive effect (β = 0.52, p < 0.01) was observed in improved patient recovery rates within the first three months post-intervention. Urban PCN systems have a marked impact on clinical outcomes for patients, underscoring their importance in public health. Further research should focus on sustainability and scalability of these networks across diverse urban settings. Panel data analysis, Urban primary care networks, Clinical outcomes, South Africa Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.