Imagine walking into a doctor's office for your back pain and leaving with a much clearer understanding of your condition. A team at the Spine Center of Southern Denmark asked if they could fit a detailed disability evaluation into regular appointments without making things harder for patients or staff. They worked with 542 patients referred for advanced assessment to see if this approach was possible.
The team integrated several tools, including patient-reported surveys, movement tests, and skin sensitivity checks, directly into their electronic health records. The results showed that the entire assessment battery took about 22 minutes on average. Over 95% of the data collected was complete, and 88% of MRI scans were available when needed. Patients found the process acceptable, and the team reported only two minor adverse events with no serious safety issues.
Even six months later, 75% of the patients who received text message follow-ups stayed engaged in their care. While this study proves the method is feasible and safe, it did not perform a full detailed profiling of every patient group. This means we know the system works, but we still need more research to see exactly how it changes long-term recovery for people with chronic pain.
