Laurie T. Martin

Senior Policy Researcher; Affiliate Faculty, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Off Site Office

Education

Sc.D., Harvard School of Public Health; M.P.H., Boston University

One Page Bio

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.

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Overview

Laurie Martin is a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation with over 20 years of experience in the field of epidemiology, public health and health policy. She is also a member of the Pardee RAND Graduate School faculty. Her primary research interests include issues of health literacy and the consumer experience in health care and social services. Her work examines how these issues impact equity, health care services, health disparities, the patient experience, and the effectiveness of health policy and programming.

Throughout her career, Martin has also worked with government and nongovernmental partners to build evaluation capacity and consider cross-sector solutions for improving health and well-being across the lifespan at both the individual and community level. She has led numerous grants and contracts related to these issues and has extensive experience with both quantitative and qualitative methods. Martin received her M.P.H. in epidemiology from Boston University School of Public Health and her Sc.D. in maternal and child health from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

Developing a Culture of Health
Healtheist Cities and Counties Evaluation
Developing an Evaluation Framework for National CLAS Standards
Mapping Health Literacy

Selected Publications

Martin LT, Plough A, Carman K, Leviton L, Bogden O, and Miller C, "Strengthening integration of health services and systems," Health Affairs, 35(11), 2016

Martin LT, Parker RM, "Insurance expansion and health literacy," Journal of the Amercian Medical Association, 306(8), 2011

Martin LT, Ruder T, Escarce J, Ghosh-Dastidar B, Sherman D, Elliott M, Bird C, Fremont A, Gasper C, Culbert A, Lurie N., "Developing predictive models of health literacy," Journal of General Internal Medicine, 24(11), 2009

Martin LT, Luoto J, From Coverage to Care: Strengthening and Facilitating Consumer Connections to the Health System, RAND Corporation (PE-158-CMS), 2015

Martin LT, Chen P "Child health and school readiness: the influence of health literacy," in Reynolds A, Rolnick A, Temple J, Health and Education in Early Childhood, Cambridge University Press, 2015

Martin L, Sontag-Padilla L, CannonJ, Auger A, Diamond F, Joyce C, Spurlock K and Chandra A, Off to a Good Start: Social and Emotional Development of Memphis' Children, RAND Corporation (TL-161), 2015

Honors & Awards

President's Choice Medal Award, RAND

Commentary

American Views on COVID-19 Health Risks, School and Economy Reopening
Much of the discussion about opening schools and the economy has focused on the educational and economic effects that closures may have on the most vulnerable groups. But some of these groups still remain wary of the increased health risks of opening.
May 4, 2021 The RAND Blog
Don't Waste This Crisis: How America Can Begin Building a System of Health
COVID-19 is shining a harsh spotlight on long-recognized but under-addressed gaps in the U.S. health system. There may never have been a more pressing time to think differently, broadening from health care services to a health-producing System of Health.
May 4, 2020 The RAND Blog
Why ACA Enrollees Need Support After They Sign Up
Providing support for Affordable Care Act enrollees to connect with care they are happy with can help minimize the risk that they will stop seeking routine health care.
Oct 11, 2017 The Hill
Open Enrollment, Take 2: What Matters for the ACA Marketplace?
As the Affordable Care Act's second open-enrollment period draws to its February 15 close, relatively few of the millions of Americans eligible to switch plans have revisited their options. What actions can be taken to ensure that people know they have the right to a new choice each year?
Feb 11, 2015 The Health Care Blog
RAND Helps to Develop From Coverage to Care, a New CMS Initiative
Health coverage is a means to an end: the aim is to help more Americans use their coverage to access routine primary care and preventive services. For many of the newly insured, however, the leap between obtaining insurance and establishing a regular source of care is substantial.
Jul 29, 2014 The RAND Blog
Quick Takes: Health Literacy and ACA Enrollment
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expands coverage to millions of Americans. But the newly eligible may face challenges enrolling if they lack understanding of how the health care system itself works. Laurie Martin explains the role of health literacy in determining how successful the ACA will be in providing coverage for America's uninsured.
Nov 7, 2013 The RAND Blog
Next Big Obstacle for Obama's Affordable Care Act? It's Not Just the Supreme Court
The success of the Affordable Care Act to enroll those newly eligible in an appropriate insurance plan depends on clear communication to individuals who have limited health literacy, write Laurie T. Martin and Ruth M. Parker.
Oct 3, 2011 Christian Science Monitor
Insurance Expansion and Health Literacy
The ongoing evolution of the health care system is leading US households toward greater responsibility for their own well-being. With this responsibility, however, comes an increasing need to be able to find, trust, use, and act on relevant information to make informed choices, write Laurie T. Martin and Ruth M. Parker.
Aug 9, 2011 The Journal of the American Medical Association

Publications

Report
Measures and Methodology for International Comparisons of Health Care System Performance: Final Report
RAND researchers worked with 15 experts in quality measurement, clinical care, and health economics to generate potential measure constructs that could improve the U.S. ability to learn from international comparisons of health system performance.
Feb 24, 2021
Journal Article
Drivers of Differential Views of Health Equity in the U.S.: Is the U.S. Ready to Make Progress? Results from the 2018 National Survey of Health Attitudes
This study uses data from a nationally representative sample of American adults to examine the factors that people think drive health outcomes and their beliefs about the importance of health equity.
Jan 26, 2021
Journal Article
Development of a Long-Term Evaluation Framework for the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health and Health Care
RAND was awarded a contract by HHS OMH to develop the long-term evaluation framework for the National CLAS Standards. This report presents the details of the development of the framework.
2018
Journal Article
Evaluation of the National CLAS Standards: Tips and Resources
OMH commissioned the development of a framework and toolkit to guide efforts to evaluate the National CLAS Standards across four settings: ambulatory care, behavioral health, hospitals, and public health.
2018
Report
Early Learnings from the Hospital Community Cooperative of the American Hospital Association
This report describes the effects and lessons learned from an assessment of the Hospital Community Cooperative—an effort for hospitals and community organizations to address key social determinants of local health and promote health equity.
Feb 27, 2020
Report
An Implementation and Impact Evaluation of From Coverage to Care
The authors present their analysis of From Coverage to Care's effectiveness in meeting its goals of helping consumers understand their health insurance and connect to care and supporting organizations as they aid consumers in this process.
Nov 5, 2019
Report
Charting Progress: U.S. Military Non-Medical Counseling Programs
This chartbook summarizes findings from an evaluation of two programs offered by the DoD that provide solution-focused counseling for common personal and family issues to members of the active and reserve components of the U.S. military and their families.
Apr 27, 2018
Infographic
Helping Military Families: A Look at Non-Medical Counseling Programs in the U.S. Military
A recent evaluation of the military's non-medical counseling programs suggests that they help military personnel and their families. Participants gave the programs favorable ratings, and most reported improvement over a three-month period.
Jan 16, 2018
Report
An Evaluation of U.S. Military Non-Medical Counseling Programs
This report evaluates two programs offered by the U.S. Department of Defense that provide solution-focused counseling for common personal and family issues to members of the active and reserve components of the U.S. military and their families.
Oct 23, 2017
Research Brief
U.S. Military Non-Medical Counseling Programs Demonstrate Benefits for Participants
RAND's evaluation of Military and Family Life Counseling and Military OneSource, based on participant surveys, suggests that these programs are largely effective for service members and families who have used these services.
Oct 23, 2017
Report
How Cultural Alignment and the Use of Incentives Can Promote a Culture of Health: Stakeholder Perspectives
This report draws on interviews with Culture of Health stakeholders whose work focused on culture, incentives, or both to learn how organizations are addressing and leveraging culture and incentives to promote health and well-being.
Apr 14, 2017
Journal Article
Strengthening Integration of Health Services and Systems
Integrating medical care, public health, and social services will increase access to care and improve health and well-being for all individuals.
Nov 28, 2016
Report
Assessing the Role of State and Local Public Health in Outreach and Enrollment for Expanded Coverage: A Case Study on Houston, Texas
Part of a series highlighting innovative models and best practices for local health departments' involvement in Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act outreach and enrollment, this brief reports on a case study on Houston, Texas.
Jul 8, 2016
Report
Assessing the Role of State and Local Public Health in Outreach and Enrollment for Expanded Coverage: A Case Study on Tacoma–Pierce County, Washington
Part of a series on innovative models and best practices for local health departments' involvement in Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act outreach and enrollment, this report summarizes a case study on Tacoma--Pierce County, Washington.
Jul 8, 2016
Report
Assessing the Role of State and Local Public Health in Outreach and Enrollment for Expanded Coverage: A Case Study on Boston and Massachusetts
Part of a series highlighting innovative models and best practices for local health departments' involvement in Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act outreach and enrollment, this report describes a case study on Boston and Massachusetts.
Jul 8, 2016
Report
Assessing the Role of State and Local Public Health in Outreach and Enrollment for Expanded Coverage: A Case Study on Eagle, Garfield, and Pitkin Counties, Colorado
Part of a series highlighting innovative models and best practices for local health departments' involvement in Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act outreach and enrollment, this report is a case study on three Colorado counties.
Jul 8, 2016
Report
Assessing the Role of State and Local Public Health in Outreach and Enrollment for Expanded Coverage: A Case Study on New Orleans, Louisiana
Part of a series highlighting innovative models and best practices for local health departments' involvement in Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act outreach and enrollment, this report describes a case study on New Orleans, Louisiana.
Jul 8, 2016
Report
Assessing the Role of State and Local Public Health in Outreach and Enrollment for Expanded Coverage: A Case Study on Illinois
Part of a series highlighting innovative models and best practices for local health departments' involvement in Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act outreach and enrollment, this brief reports on a case study on Illinois.
Jul 8, 2016
Report
Assessing the Role of State and Local Public Health in Outreach and Enrollment for Expanded Coverage: Seven Case Studies from Local and State Health Departments
This report summarizes seven case studies to highlight innovative models and best practices that leverage local health department efforts in outreach and health insurance enrollment activities tied to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Jul 8, 2016
Report
Assessing the Role of State and Local Public Health in Outreach and Enrollment for Expanded Coverage: A Case Study on West Virginia
Part of a series highlighting innovative models and best practices for local health departments' involvement in Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act outreach and enrollment, this report describes a case study on West Virginia.
Jul 8, 2016
Report
Building a National Culture of Health: Background, Action Framework, Measures, and Next Steps
In 2013, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) began its Culture of Health initiative. To implement the primary Culture of Health outcome of improved population health, well-being, and equity, RWJF worked with RAND to develop an action framework.
Mar 11, 2016
Journal Article
Cognitive Ability in Childhood and the Chronicity and Suicidality of Depression
This study aims to investigate the association between general childhood cognitive abilities and adult depression outcomes.
Feb 18, 2016
Research Brief
Assessing the Department of Defense's Approach to Reducing Mental Health Stigma
This brief assesses the military's approach to reducing stigma for mental health disorders.
Jan 18, 2016
Report
Supporting the Mental Health Needs of Veterans in the Metro Detroit Area
This study focuses on the mental health-related needs facing veterans in the Detroit metropolitan area to identify gaps in the support landscape and inform future investments for community-level resources to fill those gaps.
Jan 14, 2016
Research Brief
Understanding the Mental Health Needs of Metro Detroit's Veterans
Using a variety of methods, RAND has constructed a broad and detailed picture of the mental health support landscape for metro Detroit veterans, and identified areas where critical gaps remain.
Jan 14, 2016
Report
The Urban Child Institute CANDLE Study: Methodological Overview and Baseline Sample Description
This report describes the study design and summary data from the first year of data collection for the Urban Child Institute Conditions Affecting Neurocognitive Development and Learning in Early Childhood Study.
Dec 21, 2015
Research Brief
Connecting Consumers to Care
The Affordable Care Act has reduced the number of uninsured; an emerging challenge is to help the newly insured choose coverage wisely and use it to access primary care and preventive services.
Dec 4, 2015
Report
Family Resilience in the Military: Definitions, Models, and Policies
Summarizes definitions of family resilience in the literature, identifies key family resilience factors, and recommends steps that the Department of Defense can take to manage its portfolio of family resilience programs and policies.
Jul 10, 2015
Report
From Coverage to Care: Strengthening and Facilitating Consumer Connections to the Health System
This perspective describes lessons learned from conversations with a variety of stakeholders in the health care industry about important elements of connecting individuals with health care beyond simply enrolling in an insurance plan.
Jun 30, 2015
Tool
Off To A Good Start: Social and Emotional Development of Memphis' Children
Drawing on national, state, and local data, the Urban Child Institute partnered with RAND to explore the social and emotional well-being of children in Memphis and Shelby County, Tenn.
Jan 15, 2015
Journal Article
Education and Coronary Heart Disease Risk: Potential Mechanisms Such as Literacy, Perceived Constraints, and Depressive Symptoms
Education is inversely associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) risk; however the mechanisms are poorly understood.
2015
Report
Barriers to Enrollment in Health Coverage in Colorado
Explores why eligible individuals are not enrolled in health insurance coverage in Colorado and makes recommendations on how Colorado can strengthen its future outreach and enrollment efforts.
Oct 6, 2014
Report
Mental Health Stigma in the Military
This report assesses the U.S. military's approach to reducing stigma for mental health disorders and their treatment, how well it is working, and how it might be improved. It presents priorities for getting service members the treatment they need.
Sep 30, 2014
Report
Enhancing Capacity to Address Mental Health Needs of Veterans and Their Families: The Welcome Back Veterans Initiative
This report describes the Welcome Back Veterans Initiative, which issued grants to academic medical institutions to create and implement programs and services designed to address the mental health needs of returning veterans and their families.
Sep 18, 2014
Research Brief
Welcome Back Veterans: A Program Steps Up to the Plate to Aid Vets, Families with Mental Health Care — and Offers Future Playbook
Describes the Welcome Back Veterans Initiative, which has issued grants to academic medical institutions to create and implement programs and services designed to address the mental health needs of returning veterans and their families.
Sep 18, 2014
Report
Information and Communication Technologies to Promote Social and Psychological Well-Being in the Air Force: A 2012 Survey of Airmen
This report presents the findings from an exploratory survey of 3,479 active-duty, guard, and reserve Airmen on their use of information and communication technology (ICT) and the association between ICT use and social and psychological well-being.
Aug 25, 2014
Research Brief
Improving Programs that Address Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury: The RAND Toolkit
RAND developed a set of four tools to assist with understanding, evaluating, and improving performance of programs that address psychological health and traumatic brain injuries among service members.
Jan 8, 2014
Report
A Systematic Process to Facilitate Evidence-Informed Decisionmaking Regarding Program Expansion: The RAND Toolkit, Volume 3
RAND researchers developed a model and tools to support a centralized, systematic, and ongoing process to aid the Department of Defense in making decisions around continued support and expansion of psychological health and brain injury programs.
Jan 8, 2014
Journal Article
A Prescription Is Not Enough: Improving Public Health with Health Literacy
This article focuses on the use—and the lack of use—of health literacy within efforts to address public health in the United States.
Nov 1, 2013
Report
The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center Care Coordination Program: Assessment of Program Structure, Activities, and Implementation
This report documents RAND's assessment of a program designed to facilitate care coordination for service members and veterans recovering from traumatic brain injuries.
Aug 26, 2013
Report
Assessment of the Content, Design, and Dissemination of the Real Warriors Campaign
Presents the results of an assessment of the Real Warriors Campaign, a multimedia program designed to promote resilience, facilitate recovery, and support the reintegration of returning servicemembers, veterans, and their families.
Apr 16, 2012
Research Brief
How Do Soldiers' Deployments Affect Children's Academic Performance and Behavioral Health?
With regard to Army families, the study examines the effects of long and frequent parental deployments on children’s academic performance as well as their emotional and behavioral well-being in the school setting.
Apr 9, 2012
Journal Article
Which Literacy Skills Are Associated with Smoking?
Increases in reading skills and numeracy skills substantially increase the odds that an individual will quit smoking.
Feb 1, 2012
Report
Patient Incentives to Motivate Doctor Visits and Reduce Hypertension Disparities
Examines whether small financial incentives for patients can motivate physician visits and reduce racial/ethnic disparities in hypertension.
Nov 30, 2011
Research Brief
Addressing Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Among Servicemembers and Their Families: Existing Department of Defense Programs and Options for Improvement
Provides overviews and detailed descriptions of 211 programs currently sponsored or funded by the Department of Defense to address psychological health and traumatic brain injury, along with recommendations to maximize program effectiveness.
Nov 9, 2011
Report
Programs Addressing Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Among U.S. Military Servicemembers and Their Families
Provides overviews and detailed descriptions of 211 programs currently sponsored or funded by the Department of Defense to address psychological health and traumatic brain injury, along with recommendations to maximize program effectiveness.
Nov 9, 2011
Journal Article
Patient Activation and Advocacy: Which Literacy Skills Matter Most?
All literacy skills are significantly associated with patients' self-advocacy when examined in isolation, but greater speaking and listening skills are significantly associated with better patient advocacy when all four skills were examined together.
Sep 1, 2011
Journal Article
Insurance Expansion and Health Literacy
If the Affordable Care Act is to successfully expand health care coverage and access for those who most need it, states must implement strategies to ensure that those eligible for coverage are appropriately and efficiently enrolled.
Aug 1, 2011
Report
Effects of Soldiers' Deployment on Children's Academic Performance and Behavioral Health
With regard to Army families, the study examines the effects of long and frequent parental deployments on children's academic performance as well as their emotional and behavioral well-being in the school setting.
Apr 4, 2011
Journal Article
Patients' Literacy Skills: More Than Just Reading Ability
While reading and numeracy best represent overall literacy, patients' relative strengths may vary. Effective communication with patients should rely on both oral exchange and written health information, and not rely on a single literacy skill.
2011
Multimedia
A Prototype Interactive Mapping Tool to Target Low Health Literacy in Missouri
Describes a web-based mapping tool to help healthcare decisionmakers identify neighborhood-level ''hotspots'' of suboptimal health or healthcare that may be due to low health literacy.
Apr 29, 2010
Draft
Estimating and Mapping Health Literacy in the State of Missouri
Using predictive models and information about the demographic makeup of census areas, this paper generates estimates of health literacy for each geographic area and maps the results to identify 'hot spots' of low health literacy across Missouri.
2010
Journal Article
The Impact of Parental Deployment on Child Social and Emotional Functioning: Perspectives of School Staff
Studies the effect of parental deployment on the well-being of children, and whether and how parental deployments affect the behavioral, social, and emotional outcomes of youth in the school setting.
2010
Journal Article
Literacy Skills and Calculated 10-Year Risk of Coronary Heart Disease
Skills in reading, listing and numeracy may affect the risk of coronary heart disease.
2011
Journal Article
Mental Disorders Among Gifted and Nongifted Youth: A Selected Review of the Epidemiologic Literature
Given the ongoing debate over whether giftedness is associated with mental health disorders, there is a great need to highlight and compare results from the most methodologically rigorous studies.
2010
Report
Strategies and Models for Promoting Adolescent Vaccination for Low-Income Populations
Discusses ways to increase vaccination rates among low-income and minority youth.
May 22, 2009
Journal Article
Childhood IQ and Adult Mental Disorders: A Test of the Cognitive Reserve Hypothesis
Cognitive reserve has been proposed as important in the etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders.
2009
Journal Article
Developing Predictive Models of Health Literacy
The authors developed two models to estimate health literacy.
2009
Journal Article
Early Manifestations of Personality and Adult Health: A Life Course Perspective
The aim of this study is to investigate whether individual personality or temperamental qualities that emerge early and persist over the life course, predict adult midlife health.
2009
Report
Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery
A comprehensive study of the post-deployment health-related needs associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, major depression, and traumatic brain injury among servicemembers returning from Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
Mar 26, 2008