Minimal Clinically Important Changes of Patient-reported Outcome Measures for Acute Postsurgical Pain
Authors' conclusion
The authors found differences between MCID estimates for eight PROMs related to pain intensity and physical function.
Study context
- Population
- Patients undergoing sternotomy, total knee arthroplasty, breast surgery, or surgery related to endometriosis, 18 centres in 10 European countries
- Participants
- 2,661 patients · 18 centres
- Outcome
- MCIDs for eight PROMs assessing pain intensity and physical function (11-point scale)
- Follow-up
- Days 1 and 3 after surgery
Methodological detailsMinimal clinically important difference (MCID) estimation, distribution-based and anchor-based methods, sensitivity analysis
- MCID estimation
- Distribution-based and anchor-based methods
- Sensitivity analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
MCID estimates (11-point scale)
MCID pain intensity at rest
1.2
MCID pain intensity during activity
1.6
MCID physical function in bed
1.5
MCID physical function during physiotherapy
1.6
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
MCID improvement vs worsening (sensitivity analysis)
- No significant difference in MCID estimates between improvement and worsening for all patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs)
MCID by baseline pain, pain at rest (sensitivity analysis)
- MCID mild pain
- 1.0
- MCID severe pain
- 2.1
- Higher baseline pain led to higher changes reported as meaningful
Original publication
Minimal Clinically Important Changes of Patient-reported Outcome Measures for Acute Postsurgical Pain. Anesthesiology. Published 9 October 2025. doi:10.
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