African Journal of Otolaryngology (ENT) | 21 March 2010
Methodological Evaluation of Quasi-Experimental Designs in Rural Clinics Systems within Uganda's Healthcare Sector: A Systematic Literature Review
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Abstract
Quasi-experimental designs are increasingly used in rural clinics within Uganda's healthcare sector to evaluate clinical outcomes. However, methodological rigor varies widely across studies. A comprehensive search strategy was employed using electronic databases (PubMed, Embase) and grey literature sources. Studies were screened based on predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Methodological quality assessment used the Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) checklist. The review identified 23 studies out of which 10 met inclusion criteria. The methodological quality varied, with a median score of 8/10 on the EPOC scale indicating room for improvement in reporting standards and analysis methods. The findings suggest that while quasi-experimental designs can be effective for measuring clinical outcomes, their application requires better adherence to methodological guidelines to ensure robust results. Healthcare providers and researchers are encouraged to adopt standardised methodologies and transparent reporting practices when employing quasi-experimental designs in rural clinics. Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p<em>i)=\beta</em>0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.