MGHD 2022

Background Many non-governmental organizations are working in sub-Saharan Africa to improve healthcare services in the region. However, in many cases, the impact of these organizations’ interventions remains unknown. This study was, therefore, carried out to evaluate the impact of Bulamu Healthcare, an organization working in partnership with the Ministry of Health in Sheema district of Uganda. Bulamu Healthcare is a non-profit organization working to strength health systems in Uganda through provision of management information system that provides timely actionable data. Methods The study was a quasi-experimental quantitative design which utilized secondary data collected by Bulamu Healthcare from 17 health facilities in Sheema district, Uganda, during the pre-and post-HCE interventions patients’ satisfaction surveys which included 556 respondents. The University of Global Health Equity’s Institution Review Board approved to carry out the study. Results The study found that patients’ satisfaction with health services in Sheema district significantly increased in the post-HCE period in all areas assessed during the study periods. The median (IQR) overall patient satisfaction increased from 39.57% (31.82% – 47.37%) in 2018 to 100% (95.83% – 100%) in 2021 with p<0.001. The demographic characteristics of respondents were not associated with patient satisfaction in both pre- and post-HCE periods. Conclusion The results of this study suggested that Bulamu Healthcare’s HCE program positively impacted patients’ satisfaction with public healthcare services in Sheema district. However, another comparative study between Bulamu-supported and non-supported facilities would be better to validate if the increase in patient satisfaction is due to Bulamu interventions or the healthcare delivery in Uganda improved.