CAROLE OKEN - RAND SANTA MONICA
310-837-5711
Carole_Oken@rand.org
EDUCATION
M.A, Urban Planning, 1983, University of California, Los Angeles
B.A., Political Science, 1981, University of California, Los Angeles
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1979 - Present -- Research, The RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California. Positions as specified
2006 – Present – Research, The RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California. Adjunct
2006- Present –RAND, Results from the MHAP and TIDES/WAVES projects described below are
the basis for on-going studies that examine various aspects of providing care for depression in the
primary care setting. Ms. Oken is documenting work on the earlier projects to provide a resource for
future related studies. She also acts as the liaison between VA and RAND researchers for several
recent subcontracts at RAND with the Sepulveda Veterans Affairs’ Health Services Research
Department (HSR&D). Ms. Oken monitors and reports on project activities, budgets, staff
inquiries,and facilitates IRB submissions, meetings and other interactions between the VA and
RAND. She works closely with RAND departments to assure project quality and continuity and to
coordinate between projects that are inter-related.
2004 – 2006– RAND, Surviving Trauma: A Research Study (STARS). Project Coordinator. The
STARS study conducted a longitudinal data collection and analysis effort to evaluate post-traumatic
injury effects on persons hospitalized for their injury. Eligible patients were identified, consent was
obtained, and then they were interviewed either in the hospital or at their home. Follow-up
interviews were conducted at six and twelve months. Ms. Oken coordinated the data collection
activities, supervised the project baseline interviewers, managed site interactions and IRB
requirements, obtained new sites as needed, liaised with and supervised the sub-contractors,
reviewed all materials and interviews for quality control, maintained records, and coordinated
trainings and weekly project meetings.
2001-2011– RAND, TIDES/WAVES Translation and Evaluation Projects. These studies adapted depression
collaborative care activities from previously developed materials (see Quality Improvement for Depression
projects below by implementing the activities in ten facilities, and evaluating changes in depression care
and patient symptomatology.
Two research teams in separate locations cooperated to conduct this multi-level project. Ms. Oken was coproject director. She coordinated and managed the local research staff and the evaluation project
component, liaised between project teams, and with site study teams, and coordinated site interventions,
evaluations, and senior site leader working groups. She is responsible for evaluation data collection
including hiring and supervising data collection staff, preparing enrollment and telephone survey center
materials, training telephone interviewers, managing CATI phone surveys for over 20,000 patients,
providing supervisor oversight and designing and monitoring electronic data reports. Ms. Oken planed and
facilitated panel, contractor, and collaborator meetings across sites. She developed and disseminated
project materials, wrote reports, and managed budgets.
2000-2002 – RAND. Coverage Decision-Making by Managed Care Organizations. This study
focused on describing the process of coverage decision-making and looking at the various factors
that affect the way the managed care appeals system works. These included patient characteristics,
health care service characteristics, structural features of the process, and clinical factors. Ms. Oken
served as Project Coordinator responsible for data collection and project monitoring in two large
managed care organizations. She assisted with instrument development; hiring, training and
supervising data collectors; managing data processing, preparing and disseminating project
materials, coordinating with the client and study staff, writing reports, facilitating IRB reviews and
managing budgets.
1998 –2001 – RAND. Complaint Review Study. Peer review is an accepted method for conducting medical
quality reviews. Beneficiary complaints are one component of the overall review process. To improve the
process peer review organizations use to investigate these complaints, this project developed,
implemented, and evaluated the use of a structured implicit review process . Ms. Oken was the Project
Coordinator responsible for obtaining physician participation, planning expert panels and reviewer training,
developing and preparing project materials, coordinating with the client on cooperative activities, providing
administrative support, writing reports, and monitoring budgets.
1996 - Present--RAND. Mental Health Awareness Project (MHAP). This study evaluated various methods
for implementing depression guidelines in primary care settings to determine the effects of different
intervention methods on the quality of healthcare. Data from 16,000 patients in 9 clinics in Northern and
Southern California were compared to evaluate the interventions. Ms. Oken served as the project
administrator and coordinator of data collection. She was responsible for conducting the clinic waiting room
surveys, coordinating data collection activities, and developing training materials. She hired, trained and
managed data collectors, supervised field activities, oversaw data processing, and was project liaison for
the research sites. In addition Ms. Oken provided administrative support to the study, facilitated IRB
reviews, wrote reports, and monitored budgets. She was a contributing author to study reports. MHAP is a
collaborating project in the Quality Improvement for Depression (QID) study (see below)
1998 - 2005--RAND Quality Improvement for Depression (QID) - The QID is a collaborative project of four
parallel studies to improve depression care and estimate the effects of high quality treatment in primary care
practices. At RAND the Mental Health Awareness Project and the Partners in Care Project were members
of the national collaborative. Ms. Oken served as liaison to the collaborative team, provided administrative
support, and managed budgets.
1998-1999—RAND. Cost Effectiveness of Youth Intervention Programs. Following on previous projects,
this study continued investigations of the cost-effectiveness of several youth violence reduction programs,
and their comparability to each other and other programs. Ms. Oken participated in a literature review, data
collection, and report writing.
1994 - 1999--RAND. Violence Prevention Initiative (VPI) Evaluations, This project evaluated programs
involving violence prevention leaders and state and local community action groups, and provided
organizational assistance to local community leaders and action groups. Ms. Oken monitored community
leaders and community action program activities, collected data, prepared case studies and reports, and
assisted with local action group interventions. She represented the project at professional meetings and
conferences. Ms. Oken also participated in expanded project activities including evaluating effects of a
professional agency’s services to VPI community leaders.
1994 - 1997--RAND. Recruiting Resources and Policies. Ms. Oken participated in this project that
examined differences in military recruiting and enlistment resulting from recent legislation and funding
changes. Her efforts focused on recruiter incentive programs and recruitment goals. She obtained and
prepared data, analyzed current and historic trends, and prepared reports.
1994 - 1997--RAND--Women's Health and Hysterectomy Project--This project was a large-scale
demonstration and evaluation of two alternative strategies for encouraging voluntary use of clinical practice
guidelines. To evaluate the effectiveness data from medical record review, patient surveys, physician and
staff interviews Ms. Oken provided assistance with medical record review activities including obtaining
physician participation and scheduling and managing review activities.
1993 - 1996--RAND. Quality and Utilization Review Criteria Development Projects. These projects
developed a methodology to derive quality and utilization review (Q/UR) criteria appropriate for previously
published clinical practice guidelines for specific medical conditions. The derived criteria were tested and
evaluated. As project administrator, Ms. Oken managed data collection activities including: obtaining
information from Q/UR organizations, preparing data collection materials; arranging site participation and
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activities, hiring, training and monitoring data collectors; and preparing data. She participated in proposal
preparation. She also prepared reports, liaised with clients and project staff, planned and participated in
advisory panel activities, and prepared and monitored budgets. In a related activity, Ms. Oken conducted a
literature review of Quality/Utilization Review (Q/UR) methods that provided information for the Q/UR
projects and other similar projects.
1992-1993--RAND. Drug Policy Program Projects. Ms Oken participated in a project to expand knowledge
of drug trade at United States borders, and a study of organization and evaluation issues in implementing
the national drug control strategy. She reviewed literature, collected supplementary materials and assisted
in preparing a report.
1992-1993--RAND. Congestive Heart Failure Guidelines Development. This project developed and tested
a clinical guideline for Congestive Heart Failure. Ms. Oken was responsible for research and project
administration. She reviewed and coded journal and other articles, and prepared descriptive analyses. She
assisted with planning, coordinating and monitoring a series of two-day advisory panel meetings and
coordinated staff activities. Ms. Oken also arranged the pilot testing process and wrote reports.
1992--RAND. HCFA Severity Systems Study. The study developed weights and standards for severity
systems, evaluated the extent to which systems met standards for certain diseases, their applications, and
areas for further assessment. Ms. Oken served as researcher and project administrator. She reviewed
literature, prepared reports and arranged a panel meeting.
1991-1992--RAND. Four Cities Pneumocystis Carinii pneumonia (PCP) Quality of Care Study. Project
Administrator. This study collected data from ninety-three hospitals in four cities. Approximately sixteen
hundred medical records were abstracted. Ms. Oken was responsible for obtaining hospital participation
and serving as hospital liaison. She hired data collectors in each city and arranged a four-day training
session in Santa Monica. In addition, she prepared and monitored budgets, supervised and assisted staff,
and participated in research activities. Ms. Oken's responsibilities concluded when the project director and
the grant moved to another institution.
1987-1993 -- RAND. Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS)
Demonstration Evaluation Projects. Ms. Oken served as Project Administrator of the CHAMPUS
Demonstration Projects Evaluations that included both the CHAMPUS Reform Initiative Demonstration
(CRI) and the Catchment Area Management Demonstration (CAM). She was responsible for supervising
and assisting staff; planning and coordinating data collection activities including: identifying and verifying
data sources, obtaining data, and serving as liaison with hospital administrators, physicians, contractors and
client representatives; and she designed and supervised a study to collect clinic facility, workload and
information systems data. She also prepared and monitored budgets and participated in research activities.
1987-1988 -- RAND. California State Library Project. This study examined racial diversity in California and
the implications for California Libraries. Ms. Oken interviewed state and local librarians to document linkages
between libraries and the academic and civic communities, and to obtain perceptions of change in linkages.
She reviewed literature and scheduled case study site interviews in three locations.
1987 -- RAND. Non-intrusive Outcomes Study. Ms. Oken arranged and coordinated out of state five day
training session.
1986-1987 -- RAND. Medical Outcomes Study. Ms. Oken's responsibilities included obtaining, scheduling
and coordinating respondent participation in health exam programs at sites in three states.
1986-1987 -- Century City Hospital, Los Angeles. Geriatric Day Hospital Study. This study evaluated service
delivery to frail elderly people. Ms. Oken served as project coordinator responsible for the study design and
data collection activities, including designing, writing and testing survey instrument and guidelines, training
data collectors, supervising data collection and data entry, preparing physician questionnaire and conducting
physician interviews, analyzing data and preparing final report.
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1985-1986 -- RAND. Health Services Utilization Study. Ms. Oken was responsible for establishing contact
with two hundred and thirty hospitals in five states, obtaining hospital participation in data collection activities,
serving as a liaison with Chief Data Collectors in each state and over-reading and editing medical record
abstraction forms.
1985 -- RAND. Rehabilitation Facilities Study, HCFA Center. Ms. Oken's principal responsibilities included
coordinating data collection activities with hospital administrators, medical records directors and billing
directors at one hundred hospitals in thirty six states, conducting telephone interviews with hospital
administrators and serving as hospital liaison.
1983-1984 -- Graduate Management Admission Council, Santa Monica, California. Comprehensive study of
The Changing Demand for Graduate Management Education. Ms. Oken contributed to several components of
the study. She collected demographic, enrollment and degree statistics to describe the sample population.
She conducted a study of Annual Starting Salaries of MBA Graduates, collecting, summarizing and analyzing
data from seventy-one schools in the United States and prepared a final report. In addition she summarized
and analyzed annual studies of "The American Freshman", Endicott Reports, and The College Placement
Council Starting Salary Reports. Ms. Oken prepared reports utilizing Lotus 1-2-3.
1983 -- California State Department of Transportation (Caltrans), Los Angeles. Ms. Oken worked as a
Transportation Planner. Her activities included project development and EIR analysis for the Orange County
Corridor Study; bicycle route and accident analysis for the West Los Angeles Veloway Study; preparation of
two brochures: Guidelines for Private Developers and Local Agencies Planning Work on State Facilities, and
TSM for Developers; evaluating ridesharing performance measures; mapping; and attending community and
transportation agency meetings.
1982 -- Office of City Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles. As a planning intern Ms. Oken reported on
demolition of rental housing by gathering, mapping and analyzing data. She also facilitated designation and
implementation of a historic preservation overlay zone in the South Carthay neighborhood.
1981 -- RAND. Ms. Oken interviewed state education agency staff and state legislators in twelve states
regarding educational quality improvement policies.
1980-1981 -- United States Census Bureau, Los Angeles. Ms. Oken's responsibilities included program
coordination, data collection and survey editing.
1979 -- RAND. Ms. Oken worked on a professional health services survey of physicians and a survey of
participant response to a patient package insert in prescription drugs
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS/HONORS
Pi Sigma Alpha - National political science honors organization.
PUBLICATIONS
Rubenstein, LV, Meredith, LS, Parker, LE, Gordon, NP, Hickey, SC, Oken, C, et al, “Effectiveness of
Evidence–Based Quality Improvement for Depression: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” (re-submitted 4/04).
Rubenstein, LV, Meredith, LS, Parker, LE, Gordon, NP, Hickey, SC, Oken, C, et al, “Mental Health
Awareness Project Report on a Depression Improvement Team Based Primary Care Intervention Design
and Implementation: Background, Methods, Evaluation and Manuals,” Santa Monica,
RAND, MR 1699-NIMH, 2003,
Broder, M, Oken, C, Rubenstein, LV, et al, "Outpatient Care: A Conceptual Framework and a Form for
Structured Implicit Review", RAND, MR1258-CMS, 2002.
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Greenwood P.W., Davis L.M., Wasserman J., Strong D., Larson E.V., Marshall G.N., Oken C., et al., "The
California Wellness Foundation's Violence Prevention Initiative. Annual Report," RAND, 1998, not available
to the general public.
"Evaluation of The California Wellness Foundation's Violence Prevention Initiative: Research Plan, 1997-98"
RAND, 1997, not available to the general public.
Oken, C., Asch, B., “Encouraging Recruiter Achievement, A Recent History of Military Recruiter Incentive
Programs,” RAND, MR-845-OSD/A, 1997.
Greenwood, P.W., Davis, L., Wasserman, J., Strong, D., Oken, C., et al. “The California Wellness
Foundation’s Violence Prevention Initiative Mid Initiative Assessment,” RAND, February,1997, not available
to the general public
Maryann Jacobi Gray, Carole Oken, "Community Leader Fellowship Grant Program: The 1993-1995
Cohort", RAND, March 1996, not available to the general public.
Oken C, et al, "Multi-city Study of Quality of Care for HIV-related Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia:
Successfully Collecting Highly Sensitive Information" (Clinical Performance and Quality Health Care, Vol.3,
No.3, July/August/September, 1995).
"Management of Heart Failure: II. Counseling and Education, and Lifestyle Modifications"
(Journal of the American Medical Association, 272:18, 1442-1446, November 9, 1994), co-authored
"Heart Failure: Evaluation and Care of Patients With Left-Ventricular Systolic Dysunction. Clinical Practice
Guideline No. 11", AHCPR Publication No. 94-0612, co-authored, June 1994
"Summary and Analysis of Existing Guidelines and Review Criteria Relating to the Management of Cataract in
Adults", RAND, co-authored, June 1994, not available to the general public
"Summary and Analysis of Existing Guidelines and Review Criteria Relating to Prediction and Prevention of
Pressure Ulcers in Adults", RAND, co-authored, June 1994, not available to the general public.
MR-287-HA, "Surveys Conducted in the Evaluation of the CHAMPUS Reform Initiative", RAND, co-authored.
Predictors of DNR Orders for Patients with AIDS-related Pneumocystis carinii Pneumonia", (co authored,
1993).
"Job Satisfaction Among Military Physicians Under the CHAMPUS Reform Initiative: Baseline Results", The
RAND Corporation, N-3229-HA, (co-authored).
"Public Libraries Face California's Ethnic and Racial Diversity", The RAND Corporation, R-3656-SUL, May
1988 (co-authored).
"Comprehensive Geriatric Day Hospital: A Demonstration of the British Model in the United States", The
Gerontologist Washington, D.C., March, 1988 (co-authored).
"Obtaining Clinical Data on the Appropriateness of Medical Care in Community Practice", Journal of the
American Medical Association, 258(18):2538-2542, November, 1987 (co-authored). December 2014
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