Minimum Clinically Important Difference: A Metric That Matters in the Age of Patient-Reported Outcomes

Aditya V Karhade; Christopher M Bono; Joseph H Schwab; Daniel G Tobert

doi:10.2106/JBJS.21.00773

Minimum Clinically Important Difference: A Metric That Matters in the Age of Patient-Reported Outcomes

J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2021 Dec 15;103(24):2331-2337. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.21.00773.

Authors

Aditya V Karhade^{1

2}, Christopher M Bono¹, Joseph H Schwab¹, Daniel G Tobert¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
² Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program, Boston, Massachusetts.

PMID: 34665785
DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.21.00773

Abstract

➤: As the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) is increasingly utilized in orthopaedic research and clinical practice, there is not a consensus regarding the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) calculation.

➤: The varied MCID calculation methods can lead to a range of possible values, which limits the translatability of research efforts.

➤: The completion rate and follow-up period also influence MCID values and should be reported alongside study results.

MeSH terms

Humans
Minimal Clinically Important Difference*
Orthopedic Procedures / standards*
Patient Reported Outcome Measures*
Reference Values