Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34247326›Full record

SynthesisQuality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation2021

Minimal important change (MIC): a conceptual clarification and systematic review of MIC estimates of PROMIS measures.

Caroline B Terwee, John Devin Peipert, Robert Chapman, Jin-Shei Lai, Berend Terluin, David Cella, Pip Griffiths, Lidwine B Mokkink

3 registry-linked trialsAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 307 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
307citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05858125 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2023, after this paper: background citation

Social Media Navigation Aid Kits for Urinary Incontinence

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of New MexicoRan2023 to 2024Enrolled75ConditionsUrinary Incontinence, Stress Incontinence, Female, Urge IncontinenceArmsSocial Media Navigation Aid Kit
NCT06915662 phase2recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Pain Outcomes After Digital Amputation Using Tulavi Allay™ Nerve Cap: A Prospective Trial for Safety and Efficacy

TypeinterventionalSponsorMassachusetts General HospitalRan2025 to 2027Enrolled20ConditionsNeuroma, Neuropathic PainArmsTulavi allay Nerve Cap
NCT07049419 completednot on this mapstarted 2024, after this paper: background citation

The Impact of Environmental Controls on Mental Health

TypeobservationalSponsorNHS LothianRan2024 to 2025Enrolled5ConditionsNeurologic DisordersArmsProvision of an environmental control system
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

307 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Selecting the optimal MIC for five patient-reported outcome measures in patients with upper extremity injuries, using a systematic search and step-by-step decision tree.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
    Pooled it
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  6. A systematic review of minimum important changes for generic multi-attribute utility instruments and recommendations for their estimation.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2025
    Pooled it
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  9. Validity and reliability of self-reported methods for assessment of 24-h movement behaviours: a systematic review.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2024
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  14. Functional outcomes following psychotherapy for elevated suicide risk: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
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  17. Determining the feasibility of self-administered relaxing acupressure for fatigue among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
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247 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Caroline B TerweeDepartment of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, P.O. box 7057, 1007, Amsterdam, MB, The Netherlands. cb.terwee@amsterdamumc.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4570-2826
John Devin PeipertDepartment of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Robert ChapmanDepartment of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Jin-Shei LaiDepartment of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Berend TerluinDepartment of General Practice, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
David CellaDepartment of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
Pip GriffithsPatient Centered Endpoints, IQVIA, Reading, UK.
Lidwine B MokkinkDepartment of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, P.O. box 7057, 1007, Amsterdam, MB, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

We define the minimal important change (MIC) as a threshold for a minimal within-person change over time above which patients perceive themselves importantly changed. There is a lot of confusion about the concept of MIC, particularly about the concepts of minimal important change and minimal detectable change, which questions the validity of published MIC values. The aims of this study were: (1) to clarify the concept of MIC and how to use it; (2) to provide practical guidance for estimating methodologically sound MIC values; and (3) to improve the applicability of PROMIS by summarizing the available evidence on plausible PROMIS MIC values. We discuss the concept of MIC and how to use it and provide practical guidance for estimating MIC values. In addition, we performed a systematic review in PubMed on MIC values of any PROMIS measure from studies using recommended approaches. A total of 50 studies estimated the MIC of a PROMIS measure, of which 19 studies used less appropriate methods. MIC values of the remaining 31 studies ranged from 0.1 to 12.7 T-score points. We recommend to use the predictive modeling method, possibly supplemented with the vignette-based method, in future MIC studies. We consider a MIC value of 2-6 T-score points for PROMIS measures reasonable to assume at this point. For surgical interventions a higher MIC value might be appropriate. We recommend more high-quality studies estimating MIC values for PROMIS.

Indexed as

Patient Reported Outcome MeasuresQuality of LifeHumansInterpretationMethodologyMinimal important changePatient-reported outcomesPROMIS

Identifiers

PMID34247326
PMCPMC8481206

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.