Just-in-time database-driven web applications

'Just-in-time' database-driven web applications (DBWA) are inexpensive, quickly developed software that can be put to many uses within a healthcare organization. DBWA garnered 73,873 hits on our system-wide intranet in 2002. They enabled collaboration and communication via user-friendly web browser-based interfaces for both mission and patient care critical functions. Nineteen DBWA were developed The application categories that comprised 80 per cent of the hits were results reporting (27%), graduate medical education (26%), research (20%), and bed availability (8%). The mean number of hits per application was 3,888 (SD 5598; range 14-19,879). A model is described for 'just-in-time' DBWA development.