The Systems Engineering Initiative in 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).