Objective: To analyze the referral patterns of stroke rehabilitation inpatients to outpatient stroke therapy services, their demographics, and clinical profile.
Methods: This study examined patients who: (1) were admitted to an inpatient stroke rehabilitation unit between January 1, 2009 and March 1, 2016, (2) had a stroke, (3) had an inpatient length of stay of >1 day, and (4) lived within the geographical boundaries of the South West Local Health Integration Network. Patient data was collected from the National Rehabilitation Reporting System, as well as three hospital outpatient administrative databases. These databases were cross-referenced to determine each patient’s pathway. Those referred to an outpatient therapy program, and those who attended the outpatient programs, were compared to those who were not, and did not, respectively.
Results: 1497 inpatients were included. Upon discharge, 1037 (69.3%) of patients had an outpatient clinic, follow-up appointment scheduled; of those, 902 (87.0%) patients attended at least one outpatient clinic visit. 891 (59.5%) were referred to one of the interdisciplinary outpatient stroke rehabilitation programs; of those, an outpatient therapy program was attended by 80.9% of patients (n=721). Of those receiving outpatient therapy services, the number of patients attending the in-hospital versus home-based program were equal, 360 and 361 individuals, respectively. 
Conclusion: This study allows for a better understanding of the transition between inpatient and outpatient stroke care. There is a paucity of this type of information in stroke rehabilitation literature to date. It may assist health care providers in referring patients to the most appropriate outpatient services.

REFERRAL PATTERNS OF STROKE REHABILITATION IN-PATIENTS TO A MODEL SYSTEM OF OUTPATIENT SERVICES IN ONTARIO, CANADA: A 7-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS