Think about the change in your back angle, if you switch to flat bars that have a lot less reach from your saddle, you will sit up more upright. Maybe you want to do that, but maybe you don't. Some of that can be compensated with a different stem length.
A friend of mine used to have drop bars but never used the drops. When he set up a new bike frame for touring about eight years ago, he went with some bull horn type bars, they have very similar positions as the tops and hoods with drop bars. Note his bar end shifter positions.
