We have had patients in their mid-80s. We might individually assess a patient but we don't have a pediatric program. We can recommend referrals for patients under 18. We've been very careful to develop mechanisms that will give people maximum confidentiality. We will go so far as to let people, usually faculty or staff at Stanford, use an alias in registering, and that enables them to protect their medical record from co-workers.
Abstinence is the number one criteria.
We have studied our outcome and found we have 60 to 70 percent sobriety after a year, compared with national sobriety statistics of about 54 percent. We're trying to ensure that all patients are seen for an initial evaluation within 48 hours of a request or referral. I always use the example of the patient who comes in with the smell of alcohol and a broken toe. The answer is easy assessment - quick referral for the alcoholism. That's what we teach.