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.

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.

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

Adults undergoing lumbar spine surgery at Aalborg University Hospital, Neurosurgical Department, who are able to read and understand Danish and consent to participate in the study.

De-identified individual participant data (including questionnaire responses, pain scores, and functional outcomes) will be made available upon reasonable request to qualified researchers. Data will be shared after publication of the main study results. Requests must include a research proposal and be approved by the study investigators. Data will be shared under a data use agreement to ensure confidentiality and compliance with Danish data protection regulations.