The Network has released guidance for Ontario Health Teams to help them identify patients who require specialized rehabilitation and refer them appropriately.

Specialized rehabilitation is required for some rehabilitation populations to ensure good patient outcomes and efficient care. These specialized rehabilitation programs are provided regionally or provincially because they require a specially trained interprofessional team, a critical mass of patients to maintain expertise and clinical efficiency, relationships with complementary clinical services and specialized resources.

The guidance documents address the following patient populations: acquired brain injury, amputee, burns, cardiovascular, complex trauma, oncology, pediatric, pulmonary, spinal cord injury and stroke. A comprehensive document that includes all these populations, Specialized Rehabilitation: Guidance for Ontario Health Teams, is also available.

Each resource provides a description of the specialized rehabilitation program specific to that population (e.g., areas of expertise, affiliated services and specialized resources required) and a detailed profile of the patient who would require that rehabilitation. The resources address both inpatient and community based/outpatient rehabilitation and also provide the link to the Network’s Rehab Finder, to help clinicians find the nearest specialized rehabilitation program.

The evidence-based guidance was developed in consultation with interprofessional working groups with specialized rehab expertise.

For more information, please contact info@gtarehabnetwork.ca.