The Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS), housed within CQPI, is a multidisciplinary initiative applying systems engineering, human factors engineering, and quality engineering approaches. This research empirically examines systems design, quality management, job design, and technology implementations that affect safety-related patient and organizational and/or staff outcomes (Carayon et al., 2006; Karsh, et al, 2006). SEIPS was one of 18 patient safety developmental centers originally funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the only such center located in a college of engineering.
SEIPS research applies the work system model of Smith and Carayon (1989, 2000) to patient safety. This model recognizes the interdependent nature of the five major aspects of a work system – an individual performing various tasks using tools and technology in a given environment within an established organization. The uniqueness of the SEIPS research group is the integration of human factors and systems engineering with healthcare disciplines. SEIPS provides an existing interdisciplinary research network comprised of experts in, as well as current and previous research on, patient safety in various healthcare settings (e.g., outpatient surgery, pediatric hospital, home health care, intensive care, ambulatory care) and system (re)design associated with technology implementation (e.g., medication administration technology, electronic health record, CPOE).
SEIPS draws on its own members’ expertise, scientific literature, and research findings to develop educational programs on patient safety issues. The educational programs are aimed internally for use in developing a coherent research team and externally for medical consumers, medical providers, and the research community. Ties to local medical delivery systems have been formalized. A core planning team, research affiliates, community affiliates, and student affiliates are elements of the SEIPS structure. Oversight and direction is provided to SEIPS by the core planning team comprised of representatives from the UW School of Medicine and Population Health (SMPH) – Maureen Smith, MD, PhD, MPH and Tosha Wetterneck, MD, MS; College of Engineering faculty – Pascale Carayon, PhD, Ben-Tzion Karsh, PhD, Douglas Wiegmann, PhD, Enid Montague, PhD, Mary Sesto, PhD and John Lee, PhD; College of Engineering scientists – Carla Alvarado, PhD and Ann Schoofs Hundt, PhD; and the College of Engineering and School of Nursing – Patricia Brennan, RN, PhD.
Each year, SEIPS hosts several speakers discussing issues relevant to health care and patient safety. These seminars are recorded and located on the Innovations in Medical Education website at: http://videos.med.wisc.edu/event.php?eventid=39.
