Table 2 Studies determining minimal clinically important difference as a threshold valuea (7 studies, 2602 patients)
Study | n | Patient characteristics | Methodological characteristics | MCID | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Â | Â | Clinical condition | Age, yearsb | Male sex, % | Baseline pain, mm | Pain scale | Transition scale (directionality, categories) | Anchor question | Categories defining responders | Absolute, mm (sensitivity, specificity) | Relative, % (sensitivity, specificity) |
Aicher [25] | 1743 | Headache | 38b (16–72) | 24 | 64 | VAS | 1-sided, 4 cat (0 to +4 points) | "How do you assess the efficacy of your tablets?" | Good (+3) or very good (+4) | 35 (76%, 76%) | NR |
Grotle [41] | 54 | Acute low back pain | 38 | 27 | 39 | VAS + NRS | 2-sided, 6 cat (–1 to +4 points) | "To which extent has your back problem changed?" | Slightly improved (+1), much better (+2), very much better (+3), or completely gone (+4) | 10 (87%, 81%) | NR |
Martin [49] | 63 | Post-operation pain (third molar extraction) | 30 | 40 | 33 | VAS | 2-sided, 7 cat (–3 to +3 points) | Assessment of recovery following treatment | Much improved (+2) or best ever (+3) | 10 (70%, 82%) | 50 (82%, 82%) |
Martin [49] | 62 | Post-operation pain (third molar extraction) | 25 | 40 | 35 | Do | Do | Do | Do | 10 (71%, 71%) | 50 (83%, 86%) |
Martin [49] | 95 | Post-operation pain (third molar extraction) | 27 | 50 | 30 | Do | Do | Do | Do | 10 (87%, 69%) | 50 (97%, 82%) |
Tsze [57] | 314 | Mixedd | 10 | 50 | NR | VAS | 2-sided, 5 cat (–2 to +2 points) | Assessment of change in pain following treatment | A little better (+1) | 10 (76%, 74%) | 15 (78%, 79%) |
Tubach [58] | 271 | Rotator cuff syndrome | 48 | 38 | 68 | NRS | 2-sided, 15 cat (–7 to +7 points) | Assessment of response to treatment | A good deal better (+5) or a great deal better (+6) | 34–63c (75%, NR) | NR |