Rural Health Research Gateway

J. Patrick Hart, PhD

Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis

Phone: 402.599.8964
E-mail: jpathart@unmc.edu

RUPRI
University of Nebraska (RUPRI)

Completed Projects

Analysis of Information Networking Technology in Sustaining Rural Delivery Systems, Lead researcher
Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Networking and collaboration, Technology

How Will Rural Hospitals Meet Requirements for Patient Privacy?, Lead researcher
Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Hospitals and clinics, Legislation and regulation

Rural Quality Improvement Focus on Diabetes, Lead researcher
Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Quality
This project focused specifically on diabetes care management and quality improvement programming in rural areas as a way to understand the adaptability and policy implications of using chronic care coordination and other models in a rural environment.

Publications

  • Area Wage Index of the Medicare Inpatient Hospital Prospective Payment System: Perspectives, Policies, and Choices
    Author(s): Anthony Wellever, Andrew Coburn, Charles Fluharty, J. Patrick Hart, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy McBride, Keith Mueller, Rebecca Slifkin
    Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Topics: Health care financing, Legislation and regulation, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Medicare Wage Index
    Date: 08 / 2000
    This Policy Paper summarizes the positions of various rural health advocates and recording the actions taken by Congress and the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) to improve the wage index. Finally, it outlines the research needed to energize the policy discussion of the uses and methods of calculating the hospital wage index. Report produced by the RUPRI Rural Health Panel.
  • Assessment of Proposals for a Medicare Outpatient Prescription Drug Benefit: The Rural Perspective
    Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Charles W. Fluharty, J. Patrick Hart, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy D. McBride, Keith J. Mueller, Rebecca T. Slifkin, Mary K. Wakefield
    Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Topics: Legislation and regulation, Medicare, Pharmacy and prescription drugs
    Date: 01 / 2003
    This Policy Paper assesses legislative proposals to add an outpatient prescription drug benefit to the Medicare program and their implications for the delivery of services and the welfare of beneficiaries in rural areas. Report produced by the RUPRI Rural Health Panel.
  • Comments on the June 2001 Report of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission: Medicare in Rural America
    Author(s): Andrew Coburn, Charles Fluharty, J. Patrick Hart, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy McBride, Keith Mueller, Rebecca Slifkin
    Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Topics: Health policy, Medicare
    Date: 09 / 2001
    Comments on and critiques the findings in MedPAC's Medicare in Rural America. The authors believe that while the MedPAC report helps set a framework for analysis, it is not a definitive treatise on the role of Medicare in rural health. Among its findings: most of MedPAC's recommendations would have positive impacts on health care for rural beneficiaries, others would do no harm, others could be strengthened, and a few, particularly those relating to access to services, "suffer from disparities and weaknesses." Report produced by the RUPRI Rural Health Panel.
  • Designing a Prescription Drug Benefit for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries: Principles, Criteria, and Assessment
    Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Erika C. Ziller, Charles W. Fluharty, J. Patrick Hart, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy D. McBride, Keith J. Mueller, Rebecca T. Slifkin, Mary K. Wakefield
    Research centers: Maine Rural Health Research Center, Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Topics: Medicare, Medicare Part D, Pharmacy and prescription drugs
    Date: 08 / 2000
    The purpose of this paper is to offer a rural perspective on the current debate over the design and implementation of a Medicare prescription drug benefit. Background information on rural Medicare beneficiaries' need for, and access to, prescription drugs is provided, along with a set of rural-oriented principles for use in evaluating how different prescription drug proposals may meet the needs of rural beneficiaries. Report produced by the RUPRI Rural Health Panel.
  • Directory of Rural Health Networks: Profiling Network Information Technology Use
    Author(s): Keith J. Mueller, Brandi Shay, Sue Nardie, J. Patrick Hart, Dianne Harrop, Donadea Rasmussen
    Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Topics: Networking and collaboration, Technology
    Date: 03 / 2005
    Profiles of selected rural health networks funded by the Office of Rural Health Policy. Includes information on each network's current use of information technology (IT) and future plans for IT.
  • Improving Prescription Drug Coverage for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries: Key Rural Considerations and Objectives for Legislative Proposals
    Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Erika Ziller, Charles W. Fluharty, J. Patrick Hart, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy D. McBride, Keith J. Mueller, Rebecca T. Slifkin, Mary K. Wakefield
    Research centers: Maine Rural Health Research Center, Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Topics: Legislation and regulation, Pharmacy and prescription drugs
    Date: 06 / 2000
    This Policy Paper combines the work from current projects of the Maine Rural Health Research Center (MRHRC) and the Rural Health Panel of the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) to provide a statement of specific rural considerations and objectives for any proposal that would add a prescription drug benefit to the Medicare program. Our intent is to establish a framework for assessing the effects of proposals on rural beneficiaries. Report produced by the RUPRI Rural Health Panel.
  • Information Technology and Rural Health Networks: An Overview of Network Practices
    Author(s): Keith J. Mueller, Brandi Shay, J. Patrick Hart, Diane Harrop, Donadea Rasmussen
    Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Topics: Networking and collaboration, Technology
    Report Number: PB 2004-3
    Date: 05 / 2004
    Focuses on the use of information technology (IT) in rural health networks, based on detailed interviews with representatives for 15 rural health networks that received funding from the federal Rural Health Network Development Grant program. In general, IT was found to be most beneficial to the network when it was integrated into the initial plans for network development, scaled to the needs of the specific project, and expanded to new applications only as the network itself matured to take on new tasks.
  • Redesigning the Medicare Program: An Opportunity to Improve Rural Health Care Systems?
    Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Charles W. Fluharty, J. Patrick Hart, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy D. McBride, Keith J. Mueller, Rebecca T. Slifkin, Mary K. Wakefield
    Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Topics: Health policy, Medicare
    Date: 08 / 2000
    With this paper, the RUPRI Rural Health Panel is presenting a well-defined framework for what should be included in any discussion of Medicare policies.
  • Rural Assessment of Leading Proposals to Redesign the Medicare Program
    Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Charles W. Fluharty, J. Patrick Hart, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy D. McBride, Keith J. Mueller, Rebecca T. Slifkin, Mary K. Wakefield
    Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Topics: Health policy, Medicare
    Date: 05 / 2000
    This Policy Paper provides a critique of two proposals to redesign the Medicare program: the "Medicare Preservation and Improvement Act of 1999" (S. 1895, introduced by Senator Breaux and others) and "The President's Plan to Modernize and Strengthen Medicare for the 21st Century." Rural implications of the proposals are discussed, specifically how they affect rural Medicare beneficiaries and rural providers of health care services. Report produced by the RUPRI Rural Health Panel.
  • Rural Hospital HIPAA Readiness and Resource Needs
    Author(s): J. Patrick Hart, Wanqing Zhang, Jane L. Meza, Keith J. Mueller
    Research center: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
    Topic: Hospitals and clinics
    Report Number: Rural Policy Brief Vol. 8, No. 6 (PB2003-6)
    Date: 05 / 2003
    Presents survey of rural hospitals regarding the extent of their preparation for HIPAA requirements and their need for resources to implement HIPAA requirements. Results shown by hospital size. Also includes information on financial and staff commitment levels.

This web site includes content provided by and adapted from the Maine Rural Health Research Center, University of Southern Maine under a Cooperative Agreement with the University of North Dakota.