Objective:To analyze the current status of referral of stroke inpatients and explore the characteristics of the referral network in Changsha, for the reference to improve and promote the hierarchical medical system of stroke.Methods:Data of the inpatient medical record of stroke patients and the annual reports of medical institutions in Changsha in 2018 were collected from the health statistics network direct reporting system of Health Commission of Hunan province, for analysis of the referrals of inpatients in different medical institutions. Social network analysis was adopted to analyze the density, centrality and K-core of the referral network of stroke inpatients.Results:A total of 82 medical institutions for stroke inpatients were included with 2 859 referrals of patients. Most of the referrals were made between tertiary hospitals(1 515), especially within hospitals of a stroke alliance(1 123). The density of referral network was 0.613.Tertiary hospitals were in the center of the network, the entry points of secondary hospitals were in the center of the network and primary medical institutions were located at peripheral positions. Most of the tertiary hospitals in the 15-core(14, 72.68%), 12 of them were the units of Hunan Stroke Alliance.Conclusions:Tertiary hospitals played an important role in the region, secondary hospitals were able to receive patients referred by tertiary hospitals, but few patients were transferred to primary care institutions; The primary medical institutions failed to play due roles in the referral network. The establishment of stroke alliances could promote the cooperation of hospitals in the alliance, but the division of labor and cooperation among different levels of medical institutions in the region needed to be further optimized.