Professor of Primary Health Care, Director of the Otago Interprofessional Education (IPE) Centre and postgraduate programme leader
Background and interests
Sue is Professor of Primary Health Care, and Director of the Otago Interprofessional Education (IPE) Centre, Division of Health Sciences. She was Head of Department 2010–2017, and is also the director of the Tairāwhiti IPE programme (TIPE). Sue has been in the department since 1994. She has been a practising GP for over 30 years, with a special interest in sexual and reproductive health. Sue also has strong interests in health education and promotion, and is the author of the New Zealand Pregnancy Book – a leading book in the health education field, which is now in its third edition and been in print for over twenty years. An e-book version is in production and a fourth edition underway. Sue’s key research areas of interest are currently in interprofessional education, collaborative practice and effective teamwork in primary care settings. Sue has always been passionate about enhancing high quality education for all health professionals and has teaching expertise and research interests in many other aspects of primary health care, general practice, and women’s health. In 2009 Sue received the most prestigious award offered by the Royal NZ College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP), that of Distinguished Fellow. Sue is also the Post Graduate Programme Leader in the Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice.
Teaching and learning
Interprofessional education (IPE)
Since 2016, Sue has been the Director of Otago’s IPE Centre (Division of Health Sciences). This inaugural position has involved making the case for, and setting up the Centre, leading a team of IPE leaders based on each campus. The Centre is a virtual, distributed one, with the IPE centre manager and an administrator based in the Divisional office in Dunedin, and campus leaders in Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington, with some additional administrative support on the northern campuses. The IPE Centre is responsible to the Divisional IPE Governance Group (DIPEGG), and the Divisional Executive. Its main functions are to deliver on the Division’s IPE Strategic Plan, coordinating, fostering and supporting activities and staff, developing resources, guidelines and monitoring processes across the Division.
Undergraduate medical education
Sue is the Undergraduate Teaching director for the department. She has had many years’ experience teaching medical students in the 4th, 5th and 6th years of the undergraduate medical programme, and has on-going teaching and assessment commitments in each year of the course; including consultations skills, population-based screening, and sexual health.
As Director of the Tairāwhiti IPE programme, based 500km away from the Wellington campus, the programme continues to provide a clinically based programme in a high needs rural area, with specific hauora Maori, rural health and chronic condition management learning objectives.
Postgraduate health professional education
Sue is a PhD and Master's supervisor, and particularly interested supervising students interested in undertaking PhD’s or research Masters degrees in health professional education, including interprofessional education; collaborative practice or sexual and reproductive health.
From 2000–2010, Sue led and consolidated the steady development of the interprofessional For the Postgraduate Diploma and Certificate Primary Health Care qualifications, Sue co-convenes the Sexual and Reproductive Health paper in alternate years and teaches on several other papers for the department’s distance-taught postgraduate programme.
Research activities
Sue’s research activities include a range of topics relevant to primary care, using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Principle research themes include interprofessional practice, health professional teaching and learning, interprofessional education, health education, and women’s health.
Current projects, and selected previous projects:
Current projects
- The effect of the built environment (BE) on collaboration in primary care – This new area of work investigates characteristics of the internal built environment in primary care practices, and how they might facilitate or act as a barrier to optimal teamwork and collaborative care.
- Collaboration in aged care settings for patients admitted to die (ATD) – This study builds on previous work investigating the nature of collaborative practice. Aged care facilities have not previously had to actively manage patients specifically admitted-to-die, but this is now becoming more common as hospices reach capacity for care. These patients often need complex team based care, yet there are few precedents for how this care might be effectively managed.
- Sexually transmitted infections – reducing the burden. This project is a series of related studies investigating how best to address New Zealand’s very high rate of Chlamydia and other STIs in primary care settings. This health services research is translational, involving testing a pathway of evidence based care, ascertaining feasibility and acceptability in practice.
- The LIP study – the Longitudinal InterProfessional study – this project involves following 2015 and 2016 cohorts of students to compare outcomes over 4 years (final year of pre-registration study + first 3 years of post registration work experience) to compare student who have participated on the Tairāwhiti interprofessional education (TIPE) programme with their non-participating peers, with respect to subsequent work choice, location and setting, effect on teamwork and collaborative practice. Data collection due to finish in 2019.
Recently completed
- Youth health services – the nature of intra- and inter-agency collaborative care for high-needs young people
- Collaborative care for patients with complex co-morbidities – patient and health professional perspectives
- National stocktake of general practices and teaching capacity for health professional students and trainees
Previous work (selected)
- Study of InterProfessional Practice in Primary care (SIPP) – observation of health professionals as they go about their day to day practice in primary care, directly observing and investigating teamwork
- Interprofessional collaborative practice – Health professionals and patient’s perceptions about teamwork; organisational factors affecting collaborative practice
- Competence, respect and trust – interprofessional relationships between nurses and doctors in primary care.
- Training and support for clinical teachers – teach the teachers programme evaluation, use of general practices as clinical placements
- Use of simulated patients in medical education – consultation skills for primary care, use of adolescents as simulated patients
- Midwifery Education for Women who Smoke (MEWS) study – a randomized controlled trial that resulted in health education resources, publications and conference presentations (including 2 papers given at the 26th International Congress of Midwives in Vienna 2002), and requests for workshops.
Publications
Elkin, L. E., Stubbe, M. H., & Pullon, S. R. H. (2023). ‘Fuzzy and context dependent’: A critical discourse analysis of manipulation in online vaccine information. Communication Research & Practice, 9(1), 67-82. doi: 10.1080/22041451.2022.2137251
McKinlay, E., White, K., Garrett, S., Gladman, T., & Pullon, S. (2023). Work-place cancer and palliative care interprofessional education: Experiences of students and staff. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 37(1), 29-38. doi: 10.1080/13561820.2021.1981259
Darlow, B., Brown, M., McKinlay, E., Gray, L., Purdie, G., & Pullon, S. (2022). The Longitudinal Interprofessional study: Impact of pre-registration interprofessional education on the attitudes and skills of health professionals during their early careers. Proceedings of the New Zealand Primary Care Research Colloquium. (pp. 2-3). Retrieved from https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/fmhs/about-the-faculty/soph/sections-departments-centres/general-practice-and-primary-health-care/research-interests.html
Barthow, C., Pullon, S., McKinlay, E., & Krebs, J. (2022). It is time for a more targeted approach to prediabetes in primary care in Aotearoa New Zealand. Journal of Primary Health Care, 14(4), 372-377. doi: 10.1071/HC22089
Darlow, B., Brown, M., McKinlay, E., Gray, L., & Pullon, S. (2022). Factors influencing health career choices during clinicians' first three years in practice. Journal of Research in Interprofessional Practice & Education, 12(2), 1-13. doi: 10.22230/jripe.2022v12n2a347
Pullon, S., & Benn, C. (2008). The New Zealand pregnancy book: A guide to pregnancy, birth and a baby's first three months (3rd ed.). Wellington, New Zealand: Bridget Williams Books, 432p.
Authored Book - Research
Pullon, S. R. (1999). New Zealand Pregnancy Book (2nd Edition). Wellington: Bridget Williams Books, 361p.
Authored Book - Research
Pullon, S., Darlow, B., & McKinlay, E. (2016). Building evaluation into the development of interprofessional education initiatives. In D. Forman, J. Thistlethwaite & M. Jones (Eds.), Leading research and evaluation in interprofessional education and collaborative practice. (pp. 145-166). Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1057/978-1-137-53744-7_8
Chapter in Book - Research
Pullon, S., & Herrmann, M. (2015). Primärversorgung in Neuseeland: Lehren aus einem kleinen Land. In Jahrbuch für Kritische Medizin und Gesundheitswissenschaften [Yearbook of critical medicine and health sciences]: Primary health care. (pp. 104-121). Hamburg, Germany: Argument.
Chapter in Book - Research
Pullon, S., McKinlay, E., Gallagher, P., Gray, L., Skinner, M., & McHugh, P. (2015). Case study 14.4: Interprofessional education in a rural setting: A quick-start innovation for final-year health professional students. In K. Bin Abdulrahman, S. Mennin, R. Harden & C. Kennedy (Eds.), Routledge international handbook of medical education. (pp. 197). Abingdon, UK: Routledge. [Case Study].
Chapter in Book - Research
McLeod, D., Pullon, S. R., & Basire, K. (1998). Factors Affecting Baby Feeding: Reflections and Perceptions of Hutt Valley Mothers. In A. Beasley & A. Trlin (Eds.), Breastfeeding in New Zealand: Practice, Problems and policy. Dunmore.
Chapter in Book - Research
McKinlay, E., Bycroft, J., Darlow, B., Gray, B., Morris, C., & Pullon, S. (2021). Interdisciplinary collaboration: Working in teams for patient care. In K. A. Morris (Ed.), Cole's medical practice in New Zealand. (14th ed.) (pp. 23-44). Wellington, New Zealand: Medical Council of New Zealand.
Chapter in Book - Other
McKinlay, E., Bycroft, J., Darlow, B., Gray, B., Morris, C., & Pullon, S. (2017). Interdisciplinary collaboration: Working in teams for patient care. In K. A. Morris (Ed.), Cole's medical practice in New Zealand. (13th ed.) (pp. 81-99). Wellington, New Zealand: Medical Council of New Zealand.
Chapter in Book - Other
McKinlay, E., Gray, B., & Pullon, S. (2013). Interdisciplinary collaboration: Working in teams for patient care. In I. St George (Ed.), Cole's medical practice in New Zealand. (12th ed.) (pp. 143-149). Wellington, New Zealand: Medical Council of New Zealand.
Chapter in Book - Other
Elkin, L. E., Stubbe, M. H., & Pullon, S. R. H. (2023). ‘Fuzzy and context dependent’: A critical discourse analysis of manipulation in online vaccine information. Communication Research & Practice, 9(1), 67-82. doi: 10.1080/22041451.2022.2137251
Journal - Research Article
McKinlay, E., White, K., Garrett, S., Gladman, T., & Pullon, S. (2023). Work-place cancer and palliative care interprofessional education: Experiences of students and staff. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 37(1), 29-38. doi: 10.1080/13561820.2021.1981259
Journal - Research Article
Barthow, C., Pullon, S., Weatherall, M., & Krebs, J. (2022). They're sicker than we think: An exploratory study profiling the cardio-metabolic health in a sample of adults with pre-diabetes in Aotearoa New Zealand. Journal of Primary Health Care, 14(3), 221-228. doi: 10.1071/HC22068
Journal - Research Article
Brown, M., Pullon, S., McKinlay, E., Gray, L., & Darlow, B. (2022). Template analysis of a longitudinal interprofessional survey: Making sense of free-text comments collected over time. Journal of Research in Interprofessional Practice & Education, 12(1). doi: 10.22230/jripe.2022v12n1a337
Journal - Research Article
Darlow, B., Brown, M., McKinlay, E., Gray, L., & Pullon, S. (2022). Factors influencing health career choices during clinicians' first three years in practice. Journal of Research in Interprofessional Practice & Education, 12(2), 1-13. doi: 10.22230/jripe.2022v12n2a347
Journal - Research Article
Darlow, B., Brown, M., McKinlay, E., Gray, L., Purdie, G., Pullon, S., the Longitudinal Interprofessional Study Group, including Beckingsale, L., Foster Page, L., Gallagher, P., Handley, J., Herkt, J., Kuperus, L., McHugh, P., Meldrum, A., Skinner, M., Schwass, R., Weaver, J., Wilson, C., & Windle, J. (2022). Longitudinal impact of preregistration interprofessional education on the attitudes and skills of health professionals during their early careers: A non-randomised trial with 4-year outcomes. BMJ Open, 12, e060066. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-060066
Journal - Research Article
McKinlay, E., Hilder, J., Hood, F., Morgan, S., Barthow, C., Gray, B., Huthwaite, M., Weatherall, M., Crane, J., Krebs, J., & Pullon, S. (2022). Uncertainty and certainty: Perceptions and experiences of prediabetes in New Zealand primary care: A qualitative study. Journal of Primary Health Care, 14(2), 138-145. doi: 10.1071/HC21066
Journal - Research Article
McKinlay, E., Banks, D., Coleman, K., Darlow, B., Dungey, G., Farr, T., Fyfe, R., Gray, B., Kemp, L., … Morris, C., Myers, J., … Perry, M., … Pullon, S. (2021). Keeping it going: The importance of delivering interprofessional education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Primary Health Care, 13(4), 359-369. doi: 10.1071/HC21070
Journal - Research Article
McKinlay, E., Morgan, S., Garrett, S., Dunlop, A., & Pullon, S. (2021). Young peoples’ perspectives about care in a youth-friendly general practice. Journal of Primary Health Care, 13(2), 157-164. doi: 10.1071/HC20134
Journal - Research Article
Morgan, S., Pullon, S., McKinlay, E., Garrett, S., Kennedy, J., & Watson, B. (2021). Collaborative care in primary care: The influence of practice interior architecture on informal face-to-face communication: An observational study. HERD: Health Environments Research & Design Journal, 14(1), 190-209. doi: 10.1177/1937586720939665
Journal - Research Article
Pullon, S., Garrett, S., Garnett, A., Schwass, E. R., McKinlay, E., Ashworth, N., & Darlow, B. (2021). Five years on: Influences on early career health professionals from a rural interprofessional pre-registration immersion program. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 29, 146-157. doi: 10.1111/ajr.12705
Journal - Research Article
Rose, S. B., Garrett, S. M., & Pullon, S. R. H. (2021). Improving management of sexually transmitted infections in primary care: Feasibility and acceptability of a new patient management tool for clinicians. Journal of Primary Health Care, 13(2), 171-179. doi: 10.1071/HC20051
Journal - Research Article
Elkin, L. E., Pullon, S. R. H., & Stubbe, M. H. (2020). 'Should I vaccinate my child?' Comparing the displayed stances of vaccine information retrieved from Google, Facebook and YouTube. Vaccine, 38, 2771-2778. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.02.041
Journal - Research Article
Garrett, S., Pullon, S., Morgan, S., & McKinlay, E. (2020). Collaborative care in 'Youth One Stop Shops' in New Zealand: Hidden, time-consuming, essential. Journal of Child Health Care, 24(2), 180-194. doi: 10.1177/1367493519847030
Journal - Research Article
Goodyear-Smith, F., Stokes, T., McKinlay, E., Nixon, G., Lack, L., Fortier, R., & Pullon, S. (2020). New Zealand general practice registrars' views on their academic learning needs during vocational training: Online survey. Education for Primary Care, 31(3), 136-144. doi: 10.1080/14739879.2020.1729250
Journal - Research Article
McKinlay, E., Brown, M., Beckingsale, L., Burrow, M., Coleman, K., Darlow, B., Donovan, S., … Hilder, J., Neser, H., Perry, M., … Pullon, S. (2020). Forming inter-institutional partnerships to offer pre-registration IPE: A focus group study. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 34(3), 380-387. doi: 10.1080/13561820.2019.1685476
Journal - Research Article
Rose, S. B., Garrett, S. M., Hutchings, D., Lund, K., Kennedy, J., & Pullon, S. R. H. (2020). Clinician education, advice and SMS/text reminders improve test of reinfection rates following diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis or Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Before and after study in primary care. BMJ Sexual & Reproductive Health, 46, 32-37. doi: 10.1136/bmjsrh-2018-200185
Journal - Research Article
Rose, S. B., Garrett, S. M., Stanley, J., & Pullon, S. R. H. (2020). Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae retesting and reinfection rates in New Zealand health care settings: Implications for sexually transmitted infection control. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 47(3), 151-157. doi: 10.1097/olq.0000000000001112
Journal - Research Article
Doolan-Noble, F., Pullon, S., Dowell, T., Fuller, D., & Love, T. (2019). Men living with obesity in New Zealand: What does this mean for health care in general practice? Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, 13, 233-239. doi: 10.1016/j.orcp.2019.02.005
Journal - Research Article
McHugh, P., Smith, M., Wright, N. S., Bush, S., & Pullon, S. (2019). If you don't eat meat... you'll die: A mixed-method survey of health-professionals' beliefs. Nutrients, 11, 3028. doi: 10.3390/nu11123028
Journal - Research Article
McKinlay, E. M., Moran, S. V., Morgan, S. J., Sari, P., Kerridge, J. M., & Pullon, S. R. H. (2019). What does palliative care look like in a New Zealand aged residential care facility when patients die are admitted to die? New Zealand Medical Journal, 132(1505), 14-28. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Journal - Research Article
Morgan, S., Pullon, S., Garrett, S., & McKinlay, E. (2019). Interagency collaborative care for young people with complex needs: Front-line staff perspectives. Health & Social Care in the Community, 27, 1019-1030. doi: 10.1111/hsc.12719
Journal - Research Article
Pullon, S., Ballantyne, A., Macdonald, L., Barthow, C., Wickens, K., & Crane, J. (2019). Daily decision-making about food during pregnancy: A New Zealand study. Health Promotion International, 34(3), 469-478. doi: 10.1093/heapro/dax098
Journal - Research Article
Rose, S. B., Garrett, S. M., Hutchings, D., Lund, K., Kennedy, J., & Pullon, S. R. H. (2019). Addressing gaps in the management of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoea in primary care: Lessons learned in a pilot intervention study. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 46(7), 480-486. doi: 10.1097/olq.0000000000001005
Journal - Research Article
Rose, S. B., Garrett, S. M., Kennedy, J., Lund, K., Hutchings, D., Boyle, C., & Pullon, S. R. H. (2018). Partner notification and retesting for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae: A case-note review in New Zealand primary care. Journal of Primary Health Care, 10(2), 132-139. doi: 10.1071/HC17025
Journal - Research Article
Ballantyne, A., Pullon, S., Macdonald, L., Barthow, C., Wickens, K., & Crane, J. (2017). The experiences of pregnant women in an interventional clinical trial: Research in Pregnancy Ethics (RIPE) study. Bioethics, 31(6), 476-483. doi: 10.1111/bioe.12361
Journal - Research Article
Darlow, B., McKinlay, E., Gallagher, P., Beckingsale, L., Coleman, K., Perry, M., & Pullon, S. (2017). Building and expanding interprofessional teaching teams. Journal of Primary Health Care, 9(1), 29-33. doi: 10.1071/HC16053
Journal - Research Article
McKinlay, E. M., Morgan, S. J., Gray, B. V., Macdonald, L. M., & Pullon, S. R. H. (2017). Exploring interprofessional, interagency multimorbidity care: Case study based observational research. Journal of Comorbidity, 7(1), 64-78. doi: 10.15256/joc.2017.7.103
Journal - Research Article
Morgan, S. J., Pullon, S. R. H., Macdonald, L. M., McKinlay, E. M., & Gray, B. V. (2017). Case study observational research: A framework for conducting case study research where observation data are the focus. Qualitative Health Research, 27(7), 1060-1068. doi: 10.1177/1049732316649160
Journal - Research Article
Murton, S. A., & Pullon, S. R. H. (2017). Assessment of training capacity in New Zealand general practices: A stocktake in the lower North Island and South Island. New Zealand Medical Journal, 130(1462), 11-26. Retrieved from http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Journal - Research Article
Rose, S. B., Garrett, S. M., & Pullon, S. R. H. (2017). Overcoming challenges associated with partner notification following chlamydia and gonorrhoea diagnosis in primary care: A postal survey of doctors and nurses. Journal of Primary Health Care, 9(2), 136-144. doi: 10.1071/HC17006
Journal - Research Article
Rose, S. B., Garrett, S. M., Stanley, J., & Pullon, S. R. H. (2017). Chlamydia testing and diagnosis following initiation of long-acting reversible contraception: A retrospective cohort study. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 57(6), 665-675. doi: 10.1111/ajo.12685
Journal - Research Article
Rose, S. B., Garrett, S. M., Stanley, J., & Pullon, S. R. H. (2017). Retesting and repeat positivity following diagnosis of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoea in New Zealand: A retrospective cohort study. BMC Infectious Diseases, 17, 526. doi: 10.1186/s12879-017-2635-y
Journal - Research Article
Crawford, R. M., Gallagher, P., Harding, T., McKinlay, E. M., & Pullon, S. R. (2016). Interprofessional undergraduate students talk about nurses and nursing: A qualitative study. Nurse Education Today, 39, 7-11. doi: 10.1016/j.nedt.2015.12.021
Journal - Research Article
Darlow, B., Donovan, S., Coleman, K., McKinlay, E., Beckingsale, L., Gallagher, P., Gray, B., Neser, H., Perry, M., & Pullon, S. (2016). What makes an interprofessional education programme meaningful to students? Findings from focus group interviews with students based in New Zealand. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 30(3), 355-361. doi: 10.3109/13561820.2016.1141189
Journal - Research Article
Kane, P., Jasperse, M., Egan, R., McBain, L., McKinlay, E., Pullon, S., & Herst, P. (2016). Continuity of cancer patient care in New Zealand: The general practitioner perspective. New Zealand Medical Journal, 129(1440), 55-63. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Journal - Research Article
McBain, L., Pullon, S., Garrett, S., & Hoare, K. (2016). Genital examination training: Assessing the effectiveness of an integrated female and male teaching programme. BMC Medical Education, 16, 299. doi: 10.1186/s12909-016-0822-y
Journal - Research Article
McKinlay, E., Gallagher, P., Wilson, C., Gray, L., McHugh, P., & Pullon, S. (2016). Social learning, shared accommodation and interprofessional education: I think those conversations that you have at the dinner table …. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 5, 1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.xjep.2016.07.001
Journal - Research Article
Pelham, K., Skinner, M. A., McHugh, P., & Pullon, S. (2016). Interprofessional education in a rural community: The perspectives of the clinical workplace providers. Journal of Primary Health Care, 8(3), 210-219. doi: 10.1071/HC16010
Journal - Research Article
Pullon, S., Morgan, S., Macdonald, L., McKinlay, E., & Gray, B. (2016). Observation of interprofessional collaboration in primary care practice: A multiple case study. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 30(6), 787-794. doi: 10.1080/13561820.2016.1220929
Journal - Research Article
Pullon, S., Wilson, C., Gallagher, P., Skinner, M., McKinlay, E., Gray, L., & McHugh, P. (2016). Transition to practice: Can rural interprofessional education make a difference? A cohort study. BMC Medical Education, 16, 154. doi: 10.1186/s12909-016-0674-5
Journal - Research Article
