Python is often described as a "scripting language". While python is an excellent choice for simple scripting tasks, it is also ideal for developing complex applications. The Department of Surgery at the University of Nebraska Medical Center is creating a medical information system called intuaCare using Python, wxPython and other open-source tools and libraries.

intuaCare and intuaDesign are wxPython-based applications that provide point-of-care access to patient records. intuaDesign is a graphical template/interface designer that gives users the ability to create their own data entry screens via drag-and-drop and also generates the appropriate database tables for the storage of data. The forms generated by intuaDesign are then used by intuaCare to collect and display clincal data. The data collected is stored in a local database on the device, and synchronized to a master Oracle database when a network connection is available.

This presentation will cover our reasons for selecting Python and wxPython as the platform for intuaCare, and some of the features we were able to implement using Python that would have been more difficult in other languages. A brief demonstration of intuaCare and intuaDesign will be included in the presentation.