Telephone versus in-person physiotherapy follow-up for lumbar spine surgery patients
Evaluating the Quality of Telephone Follow-Up After Spine Surgery: A Non-Inferiority Study
This will test whether physiotherapy follow-up by telephone works as well as in-person visits for patients who had lumbar spine surgery.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 200 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Aalborg University Hospital Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Aalborg, Aalborg) |
| Trial ID | NCT07173413 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This observational comparison enrolls patients who had lumbar spine surgery at Aalborg University Hospital and assigns follow-up modality based on the day of surgery. Clinical data from patient records (age, sex, surgical procedure, pain medication use, and time spent on follow-up) are collected alongside patient-reported outcomes. After their assigned telephone or in-person physiotherapy visit, patients complete REDCap questionnaires on satisfaction, pain, function, and health-related quality of life immediately and again at one and three months. Outcomes are compared to see if telephone follow-up yields comparable satisfaction and recovery while saving resources and reducing travel-related environmental impact.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults who underwent lumbar spine surgery at the Department of Neurosurgery, Aalborg University Hospital and who can read and understand Danish are eligible.
Not a fit: Patients who require hands-on physical assessment, have limited Danish language ability, or who withdraw consent are unlikely to benefit from telephone follow-up.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could receive convenient phone-based follow-up that maintains care quality while saving travel time and reducing healthcare resource use.
How similar studies have performed: Telephone or remote postoperative follow-up has shown comparable satisfaction and outcomes in other surgical settings, but evidence specific to lumbar spine physiotherapy follow-up is limited.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion 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
Where this trial is running
Aalborg, Aalborg
- Department of Neurosurgery, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark. — Aalborg, Aalborg, Denmark (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Jacob Gandløse, PhD student
- Email: j.gandloese@rn.dk
- Phone: +4550998483
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.