Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of District Hospital Systems in South Africa Using Difference-in-Differences Methodology

The healthcare system in South Africa faces significant challenges in delivering equitable and efficient services across district hospitals. A Difference-in-Differences (DiD) regression model was applied to assess changes in healthcare outcomes over time. Uncertainty is represented by robust standard errors. There was an observed reduction of 15% in patient wait times, with a confidence interval of ±3%. The DiD method provided insights into the cost-effectiveness of district hospital systems, highlighting areas for improvement and potential savings. Further research should focus on implementing targeted interventions to address identified inefficiencies. Difference-in-Differences, South Africa, District Hospitals, Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Treatment effect was estimated with logit(pᵢ)=β₀+β^ Xᵢ, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.