In recent years, Danbury Hospital Systems (DHS) has placed online not only Danbury Hospital, but 115 physicians' practices, the Danbury Visiting Nurses Association and the Hospital Development Fund among others.

The network includes some 2,000 PCs and Terminals, most of which are IBM models supplied and installed by AMSYS Computer of Ridgefield.

Peter Courtway, chief information officer for DHS, said the computers allow for the quick exchange of medical records between the hospitals and off-site physicians or and off-duty doctor on a home computer.

For example, X-rays can be transferred to Columbia-Presbyterian or Yale-New Haven for review. A doctor at the hospital can type in a patient's particular symptoms and can receive a recommended diagnosis on the computer monitor.

Additional information is at the doctor's fingertips via data-rich CD-ROMs, the Internet and online medical journals.

In the old days, patient records were discarded after about 10 years because it was just too expensive to store all that paperwork, Courtway said. With computers, the same records can be stored far more effectively on diskette--for the life of a patient and their siblings in the event of a generational disease.

Doctors can study information on cause and effect treatments over time, Courtway said. A certain ailment in an adult, for instance, can be traced back to an allergy medication administered 15 or 20 years earlier when a child, or the impact of cholesterol testing can be studied over a person's life span.

Under confidentiality restrictions, patient information can be passed on to researchers and drug companies to assist in finding new or improved treatments. Managed care providers appreciate the information because it helps them avoid unnecessary duplicate treatments, Courtway said.

In addition, doctors and managed care providers alike can document a patients's care, arming them with information against ''frivolous lawsuits'' for negligence. The technology makes possible improved statistical information--for example, a person's cancer traced back to a certain contingency that mandates or disallows coverage under a managed care plan.

According to Courtway, the improved efficiencies made possible through new technology in the medical field eventually will lower health care costs.

AMSYS Computer was recently awarded a new two-year computer service and support contract for DHS. The company's competitive bid has won the contract for each of the last four years and it will continue to supply the hospital with hardware, support and repair, computer configuration, installation, and set-up and network connectivity.

Ed Heere, president of AMSYS , said the DHS contract offers new challenges for his computer support firm.

Where there are no "mission critical" applications in banking and finance, no application is more crucial than one at a health care facility like Danbury Hospital, whether it's being used for drug information, instruction information on patients or for poison control in the emergency room.

Every computer needs to be up and running on an immediate basis, Heere said. ''We're required to keep multiple technicians on site during business hours and technicians are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We've got a one-hour response time even in the middle of the night for any problems.''

With the exception of an emergency where response is immediate, AMSYS' technicians must respond and repair any PC malfunction at DHS in less than eight hours.

AMSYS has standardized the hospital's hardware with IBM PCs. Four years ago, Courtway said, the hospital relied on a collection of incompatible computer systems, resulting in lost time when it came to service.

The trend at DHS and elsewhere in the hospital industry is to emphasize more cost effective ''systems'' over mainframes. Such systems are more flexible than mainframes, allowing end-users to customize the data so they can make faster decisions.

AMSYS has implemented high-tech inventory control systems and regularly helps DHS keep on top of the latest technological advances and relevant software licensing policies, Heere said.

''Our challenge over the next (two) years is to maintain current systems, as well as help the many medical practices in Connecticut communities whose computers will have to eventually connect directly to Danbury Hospital for immediate availability of patient care and insurance requirements,'' he said.

AMSYS employs 18 people, with five routinely stationed at the hospital, the company's largest client.

Due to growing business at DHS and new clients, Heere said he could "double the size of the company in two years,'' if he can find enough skilled workers in the region.