The Relation Between the Minimally Important Difference and Patient Benefit

A critical issue in the examination of the effects of treatments on health-related quality of life is how to determine whether a particular change is clinically relevant. One approach is the so-called anchor-based method derived from patient or clinician estimates of minimal change (the Minimally Important Difference or MID). At issue, however, is whether this criterion provides a meaningful way to differentiate between beneficial and …