Research
In This Section:
Research and Industry Ties
Health Policy and Administration faculty engage in a wide spectrum of health services research. The department's research strengths are in the areas of aging and long-term care, quality improvement in health systems and health care organizations, health disparities, and health insurance and financing. HPA faculty members are affiliated with many of the research centers and consortia at Penn State, including the Center for Health Care and Policy Research, the Population Research Institute, the Gerontology Center, the Methodology Center, the Children, Youth, and Families Consortium, and the Center on Population Health and Aging. Funding for projects is provided by federal and state agencies, including the National Institute on Aging, National Cancer Institute, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
In addition to externally funded research, HPA faculty maintain strong ties with the health care industry. Several faculty members have substantial health care experience and many serve on boards, councils, and committees or provide consulting expertise for government agencies and health care organizations. Organizations interested in working with HPA faculty on research or consulting projects can contact individual faculty members regarding their expertise.
Grant and consulting relationships provide numerous research and experiential learning opportunities for students. Recent student projects include electronic patient records, quality of care in nursing homes, and patterns of physician referrals. To see theses of recent graduates, click here.
Research News from the HPA Department
Older cancer survivors likely to keep working, HPA study finds
Scanlon leads initiative to improve care in communities