PURPOSE: To develop a system of support to the research in the field of the computer science, based on the automatic search of information, on the percentage of patients with certain characteristics and the crossing of this information among themselves. METHODS: A computer with Pentium III 650 MHz processor, 128 MB RAM, 32 MB video plate, free 20 MB in the hard disk and fitted with Windows 98/2000/XP. The data base used to store the information is Interbase version 6.1 and the program was developed in Delphi 5.0 language. Three hundred and four charts of esotropia-operated patients were registered in the Extrinsic Ocular Motility Sector of the Departament of Ophthalmology of the College of Medical Sciences of the Santa Casa of Misericórdia of São Paulo, in the period from 07/02/1976 to 03/09/1992. To include the patients in the program, a questionnaire was elaborated, with the relevant clinical variations of this type of misalignment. Examples of totalizations and crossings of information were presented. RESULTS: This new program will be able to contribute to scientific research, accelerating data collection. After registering the patients any type of survey, election of a specific group of patients or crossing of data may be obtained in seconds. CONCLUSION: This can be made for all ophthalmologic specialties, varying the questionnaire in accordance with each specialty.
System design; Medical records systems, computerized; Information systems; Ocular motility disorders; Ophthalmology
