The GTA Rehab Network has been working with a consultation group to inform the development of an Out of Country (OoC) Rehab Pathway for patients who are returning to Ontario from outside of Canada and require inpatient rehabilitation or complex continuing care (CCC).

The pathway includes a draft guideline outlining the steps involved in managing transfer requests, information on available rehabilitation services through Rehab Finder, links to GTA Rehab Network member organizations, and a standardized reporting template to support information sharing between organizations. The pathway focuses on patients with orthopedic, stroke, and general medical rehabilitation needs. Patients with neurotraumatic injuries and/or neurosurgical interventions are not included at this time, and hospitals will continue to follow current practices for these populations.

The consultation group includes representatives from North York General Hospital, Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital, St. John’s Rehab Hospital, Providence Healthcare, and Toronto Rehab. In addition, consultations have been held with medical transport providers to better understand current repatriation processes and identify any steps that may not align with the proposed pathway.

To date, the pathway has been piloted at North York General Hospital with one patient returning from the United States. The Network is currently working with the consultation group to finalize pathway documents and develop a tracking and feedback process that will support future evaluation of the pathway. As this work progresses, additional feedback will be sought from acute care and rehab/CCC partners.

For more information, please contact us directly.