The ACT Health Walk-in Centre was established in May 2010 as a nurse-led primary care service offering free consultations on an appointment-free basis. Associate Professor Rhian Parker, Dr Laura Forrest, Dr Ian McRae were contracted by ACT Health to conduct an independent evaluation of the Walk-in Centre. The research team was joined by Ms Jane Desborough who was seconded from ACT Health to assist with the evaluation. The evaluation utilised a mixed methods approach consisting of: 1) an integrative literature review,12) an audit of the Clinical Decision Support Software used in the Centre, 3) a patient satisfaction survey, 4) a satisfaction survey and interviews with the nursing staff working at the Centre, 5) interviews with stakeholders of the Walk-in Centre, 6) the impact of the Walk-in Centre on the workload of the ACT Emergency Departments, and 7) the costs and cost implications of the activity of the Walk-in Centre.

Related publications

• Jane Desborough, Laura Forrest, Rhian Parker, (2011) Nurse-led primary healthcare walk-in centres: an integrative literature review, Journal of Advanced Nursing; 68(2):248-63
• Rhian M Parker, Jane L Desborough, Laura E Forrest, (2012) Stakeholder perceptions of a nurse led walk-in centre, BMC Health Services Research; 12(382)
• Jane Desborough, Rhian Parker, Laura Forrest, (2013) Development & implementation of a nurse-led walk-in centre evidence lost in translation, Journal of Health Services Research & Policy, 18(3):174-8