Assessing the Quality of Telephone Follow-Up After Spine Surgery

NCT ID: NCT07173413

Last Updated: 2025-09-15

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: RECRUITING
• Total Enrollment: 200 participants
• Study Classification: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-06-12
• Study Completion Date: 2026-02-01

Brief Summary

The aim of this study is to investigate whether the quality of physiotherapy follow-up after spinal surgery can be maintained when conducted by telephone rather than in-person. The study is motivated by the desire to save healthcare resources and reduce the environmental impact of patient travel. Data from patient records, including age, sex, surgery procedure, use of pain medication, and time spent on either phone or in-person follow-ups, will be collected to evaluate whether telephone-based follow-up is an effective and sustainable alternative for post-operative care.

Detailed Description

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and patient experience of telephone-based versus in-person physiotherapy follow-up after spinal surgery. Patients are allocated to one of two groups based on the day of the week they undergo surgery. This allocation determines whether the patient receives a follow-up assessment by telephone or in-person with a physiotherapist.

Following their assigned follow-up, patients are asked to complete questionnaires via REDCap regarding their satisfaction with the follow-up, regardless of the modality. These questionnaires also collect information on pain, physical function, and health-related quality of life. In addition to the initial assessment immediately after the follow-up, patients are sent the same questionnaires again at one and three months post-surgery.

The primary objective of the study is to compare outcomes between the two groups, evaluating whether telephone-based follow-up provides a comparable level of satisfaction, pain management, functional recovery, and quality of life to traditional in-person follow-up. The results will inform whether telephone follow-up is a viable and resource-efficient alternative to in-person assessments while maintaining high standards of post-operative care.

Conditions

Low Back Pain

Study Design

• Observational Model Type: COHORT
• Study Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

Patients undergoing surgery for low back pain receiving in-person physiotherapy follow-up

Patients undergoing surgery for low back pain receiving in-person physiotherapy follow-up

In person post-operative physiotherapy follow-up

Intervention Type: OTHER

Post-operative physiotherapy follow-up delivered as an in-person consultation at the hospital. The session includes assessment of recovery after lumbar spine surgery, hands-on evaluation if needed, and tailored advice on pain management, mobility, exercise progression, and daily activity. This format allows the physiotherapist to physically observe and, if relevant, demonstrate exercises to ensure correct performance and safe rehabilitation.

Patients undergoing surgery for low back pain receiving telephone physiotherapy follow-up

Patients undergoing surgery for low back pain receiving telephone physiotherapy follow-up

Telephone post-surgery physiotherapy follow-up

Intervention Type: OTHER

Post-operative physiotherapy follow-up delivered via a structured telephone consultation. The session focuses on recovery after lumbar spine surgery, addressing pain management, mobility, exercise recommendations, and guidance on daily activities. The physiotherapist evaluates the patient's status verbally, answers questions, and provides tailored advice to support safe rehabilitation without requiring the patient to attend the hospital physically.

Interventions

Telephone post-surgery physiotherapy follow-up

Post-operative physiotherapy follow-up delivered via a structured telephone consultation. The session focuses on recovery after lumbar spine surgery, addressing pain management, mobility, exercise recommendations, and guidance on daily activities. The physiotherapist evaluates the patient's status verbally, answers questions, and provides tailored advice to support safe rehabilitation without requiring the patient to attend the hospital physically.

Intervention Type: OTHER

In person post-operative physiotherapy follow-up

Post-operative physiotherapy follow-up delivered as an in-person consultation at the hospital. The session includes assessment of recovery after lumbar spine surgery, hands-on evaluation if needed, and tailored advice on pain management, mobility, exercise progression, and daily activity. This format allows the physiotherapist to physically observe and, if relevant, demonstrate exercises to ensure correct performance and safe rehabilitation.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Other Intervention Names

Telephone physiotherapy follow-up

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients who have undergone lumbar spine surgery at the Department of Neurosurgery, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
• Able to read and understand Danish.

Exclusion Criteria

• Withdrawel of consent

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Aalborg University Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Jacob Christiansen Gandløse

Principle investigator

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Department of Neurosurgery, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.

Aalborg, Aalborg, Denmark

Site Status: RECRUITING

Countries

Denmark

Central Contacts

Jacob Gandløse, PhD student

Role: CONTACT

j.gandloese@rn.dk

+4550998483

Facility Contacts

Thorvaldur Palsson, PhD

Role: primary

97664217

Other Identifiers

K2025-124

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id