Methodological Evaluation of Urban Primary Care Networks in Uganda Using Difference-in-Differences Approach to Assess Clinical Outcomes

Urban primary care networks (UPCNs) in Uganda are essential for improving healthcare accessibility and quality. However, their effectiveness remains under-researched. A difference-in-differences (DiD) model was employed to analyse pre- and post-intervention data from selected UPCN sites. The DiD framework compares changes over time within and between treatment groups, accounting for potential confounders through instrumental variables (IV). The preliminary analysis suggests an improvement in patient recovery times by approximately 15% in the intervention group compared to controls. This study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of UPCNs and validates the DiD methodology for evaluating healthcare interventions in resource-limited settings. Further research should be conducted with a larger sample size and extended follow-up periods to validate these findings and explore potential mechanisms underlying observed improvements. Urban Primary Care Networks, Difference-in-Differences, Clinical Outcomes, Healthcare Interventions, Uganda Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.