Dr Rachelle Martin

Position	Lecturer
Department	Department of Medicine (Wellington)
Qualifications	DipPhys MHSc PhD
Research summary	Supporting disabled people to access equitable health-optimising services, programmes and policies
Teaching	Lecturer, Rehabilitation Teaching and Research Unit (RTRU), Department of Medicine Wellington. I teach general rehabilitation and neurological rehabilitation papers and provide supervision to masters' and PhD students.
Memberships	New Zealand Rehabilitation Association (NZRA) - Executive member Physiotherapy New Zealand - Associate Editor of the NZ Physiotherapy Journal
Clinical	My clinical background (over 20 years) is working as a physiotherapist in hospital and community settings, mostly alongside people with neurological impairments.

Research

I aim to develop equitable health-optimising policies and programmes, enabling people who experience disability to live well across their lifespan. I also aim to conduct research that supports the development of empowering mana-enhancing health services - acknowledging and building on people’s capabilities and strengths.

I optimise research real-world impact by ensuring that new evidence and knowledge is directly translated into improved ways of working – often within the process of research itself. I am committed to participatory methods that listen to and enhance the voices of disabled people, ensuring their perspectives influence health-related policy, programme and service delivery decisions, and work in partnership with Māori researchers to ensure kaupapa Māori responsiveness.

I often use realist review, research or evaluation methods to unpack the ‘black box’ of complex health programmes by developing a theoretically based understanding of ‘what works for who, in which contexts, to what extent, and how?’. As such, my research supports a nuanced understanding of how people are able to (or not) respond to intervention resources and/or programme mechanisms, and how different contexts (i.e. personal, environmental and societal) may impact on equitable health outcomes.

Publications

Martin, R. A., Fitzpatrick, A. C., & Levack, W. M. M. (2021). Experiences and perceived effectiveness of carbon-fibre triplanar orthotics for people affected by polio: A qualitative descriptive study. New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy, 49(3), 147-155. doi: 10.15619/NZJP/49.3.05

Dunn, J. A., Hackney, J. J., Martin, R. A., Tietjens, D., Young, T., Bourke, J. A., Snell, D. L., Nunnerley, J. L., … Derrett, S. (2021). Development of a programme theory for early intervention vocational rehabilitation: A Realist literature review. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s10926-021-10000-z

Dunn, J., Martin, R. A., Hackney, J. J., Nunnerley, J. L., Snell, D., Bourke, J. A., … Derrett, S. (2021). Early vocational rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injury: A research protocol using realist synthesis and interviews to understand how and why it works. BMJ Open, 11, e048753. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-048753

Nunnerley, J. L., Martin, R. A., Aldridge, M., Bourke, J. A., & Simpson, I. (2021). Access to community support workers during hospital admission for people with spinal cord injury: A pilot study. Spinal Cord Series & Cases, 7, 3. doi: 10.1038/s41394-020-00370-6

Martin, R. A., Dickie, B., Skinner, H., Hurring, S., Marshall, R., & Hanger, H. C. (2020). Implementing a 'Safe Recovery' fall prevention program: Refining intervention theory using realist methods. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 39, e259-e270. doi: 10.1111/ajag.12795

Journal - Research Article

Martin, R. A., Graham, F. P., Levack, W. M. M., Taylor, W. J., & Surgenor, L. J. (2020). Exploring how therapeutic horse riding improves health outcomes using a realist framework. British Journal of Occupational Therapy, 83(2), 129-139. doi: 10.1177/0308022619865496

Journal - Research Article

Martin, R. A., Taylor, W. J., Surgenor, L. J., Graham, F. P., Levack, W. M. M., & Blampied, N. M. (2020). Evaluating the effectiveness of therapeutic horse riding for children and young people experiencing disability: A single-case experimental design study. Disability & Rehabilitation, 42(26), 3734-3743. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2019.1610083

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Martin, R., Surgenor, L. J., Siegert, R. J., Hay-Smith, E. J. C., Melzer, T. R., Anderson, T. J., & Hooper, G. J. (2020). Wrestling with uncertainty after mild traumatic brain injury: A mixed methods study. Disability & Rehabilitation, 42(14), 1942-1953. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2018.1542461

Journal - Research Article

Bourke, J. A., Catherwood, V. J., Nunnerley, J., Martin, R. A., Levack, W. M. M., Thompson, B. L., & Acland, R. H. (2019). Using cannabis for pain management after spinal cord injury: A qualitative study. Spinal Cord Series & Cases, 5, 82. doi: 10.1038/s41394-019-0227-3

Journal - Research Article

Kayes, N. M., Martin, R. A., Bright, F. A., Kersten, P., & Pollock, A. (2019). Optimising the real-world impact of rehabilitation reviews: Increasing the relevance and usability of systematic reviews in rehabilitation. European Journal of Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine, 55(3), 331-341. doi: 10.23736/s1973-9087.19.05793-9

Journal - Research Article

Levack, W. M., Martin, R. A., Graham, F. P., & Hay-Smith, E. J. (2019). Compared to what? An analysis of the management of control groups in Cochrane reviews in neurorehabilitation. European Journal of Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine, 55(3), 353-363. doi: 10.23736/s1973-9087.19.05795-2

Journal - Research Article

Martin, R. A., Graham, F. P., Taylor, W. J., & Levack, W. M. M. (2018). Mechanisms of change for children participating in therapeutic horse riding: A grounded theory. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 38(5), 510-526. doi: 10.1080/01942638.2017.1400492

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Martin, R., Macleod, A. D., Surgenor, L. J., Siegert, R. J., Hay-Smith, E. J. C., Melzer, T., Hooper, G. J., & Anderson, T. (2018). Untangling chronic pain and post-concussion symptoms: The significance of depression. Brain Injury, 32(5), 583-592. doi: 10.1080/02699052.2018.1432894

Journal - Research Article

Snell, D. L., Martin, R., Surgenor, L. J., Siegert, R. J., & Hay-Smith, E. J. C. (2017). What's wrong with me? Seeking a coherent understanding of recovery after mild traumatic brain injury. Disability & Rehabilitation, 39(19), 1968-1975. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2016.1213895

Journal - Research Article

Martin, R., Levack, W. M. M., & Sinnott, K. A. (2015). Life goals and social identity in people with severe acquired brain injury: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Disability & Rehabilitation, 37(14), 1234-1241. doi: 10.3109/09638288.2014.961653

Journal - Research Article

Graham, F., Sinnott, K. A., Snell, D. L., Martin, R., & Freeman, C. (2013). A more “normal” life: Residents', family, staff, and managers' experience of active support at a residential facility for people with physical and intellectual impairments. Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability, 38(3), 256-264. doi: 10.3109/13668250.2013.805738

Journal - Research Article

Journal - Research Other

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Dr Rachelle Martin

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