Development and validation of an automatic treatment referral system.

The alcoholism literature abounds with reports of the alcoholic personality and alcoholic subtypes. However, very minimal research on the relationship between the subtypes and treatment procedures is available. With the power of computer technology now accessible so readily, it is possible to apply sophisticated statistical methods to determine the extent of the association. The present paper describes the development of an automatic referral system (Autorf) on an inpatient alcohol and day unit (N = 150). More importantly, preliminary results with regard to the validity of the Autorf system are reported. Implications for treatment of alcoholics and program efficiency are discussed.